Phil Foden hat-trick powers Manchester City to victory over AEK Athens

Manchester City entered the meeting with AEK Athens looking to return to winning ways in the Champions League. The BBC described the match as a response after a setback in the competition.

For Phil Foden, the backdrop was more personal. The 26-year-old had gone 10 months without scoring before finding the net in Saturday's win against Ipswich, according to The42. Against AEK, that breakthrough became a much bigger contribution.

On October 20, City faced AEK at home with Erling Haaland left on the bench. ESPN FC reported that Haaland was rested, leaving City to find their goals without him.

Rayan Cherki scored and Foden struck three times as City overwhelmed the visitors. L'Équipe singled out both players in its account of the 5-1 victory.

Foden's hat-trick was the central performance of the night. The BBC described his display as virtuoso, while Sky Sports reported that City dominated on their way to a comfortable win.

City now have two Champions League victories in this campaign, according to Sky Sports. The result restored their winning form in the competition, though the supplied coverage does not give their position in the standings.

It was also City's 150th Champions League match, Vg reported. They marked it with five goals, a Foden hat-trick and a convincing win without needing Haaland to leave the bench.