Man City vs. AEK Athens: Phil Foden hat trick powers a 5-1 Champions League win

Manchester City beat AEK Athens 5-1 at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday, Oct. 20, with Phil Foden scoring a hat trick. “Man city vs aek” drew more than 50,000 US searches overnight, according to Google Trends, and “Phil Foden” was among the top related queries.

Man City vs. AEK: goal timeline

According to Sky Sports’ match report:

• 12’ Elliot Anderson (City): 1-0, his first goal for the club, from the rebound of an Enzo Fernández free kick
• 34’ Phil Foden (City): 2-0, after a combination with Rico Lewis
• 52’ Stavros Pilios (AEK): 2-1
• 57’ Rayan Cherki (City): 3-1
• 65’ Phil Foden (City): 4-1, set up by Lewis
• 76’ Phil Foden (City): 5-1, a tap-in from Ryan McAidoo’s pass

AEK also hit the crossbar through Allan in the 23rd minute. Sky Sports reported that AEK didn’t land a shot on target until Pilios’ goal.

Foden’s hat trick

Foden had gone 10 months without a goal before scoring four in back-to-back games, including one against Ipswich at the weekend, Sky Sports reported. It was his first hat trick since April 2024.

“I’ve still got a long way [before I’m back at my best], but I’m going in the right direction and scoring along the way,” Foden told TNT Sports.

City coach Enzo Maresca backed him. “I’ve said since day one, I consider him one of the best English players,” he said. “For different reasons, in the last two years, he was not good enough. But I know how good he is.”

Haaland on the bench

Erling Haaland was named among the substitutes but didn’t play, according to Sky Sports, with 17-year-old Floyd Samba leading the line instead. Maresca said he was pleased that players who hadn’t been getting many minutes were ready.

What AEK’s coach said

AEK coach Marko Nikolić called it “a deserved victory for City.” “We didn’t want to sit back and try to survive,” he said. “But of course the quality in the finishing phase from City was brutal.” “AEK is only playing Champions League group phase for the second time in 20 years; we’re trying to compete,” he added.

Where City stand

Sky Sports described the result as City’s second Champions League win of the campaign, and its 10th win in 12 games in all competitions this season. For the full league-phase table, check UEFA’s official standings, which will move as the rest of the matchday is played.

FAQ

What was the score of Man City vs. AEK? Manchester City won 5-1.

Who scored for City? Phil Foden (3), Elliot Anderson and Rayan Cherki.

Did Haaland play? No. He was on the bench but did not come on.