Foden hat-trick leads Manchester City past AEK Athens

Manchester City beat AEK Athens 5-1 in the Champions League on Tuesday, October 20, as Phil Foden scored three goals and helped the English side return to winning ways in the competition. Elliot Anderson opened the scoring and Rayan Cherki also found the net for City. Stavros Pilios scored AEK’s only goal, briefly reducing the deficit early in the second half before Cherki restored City’s two-goal cushion. Foden then scored twice more to complete his hat-trick. Anderson put City ahead in the 12th minute, finishing from close range after Enzo Fernández’s free kick hit the crossbar. Foden doubled the lead in the 34th minute after combining with Rico Lewis. AEK responded seven minutes after halftime, when Pilios converted a pass into the area. Cherki’s goal in the 57th minute re-established City’s two-goal advantage. Foden made it 4-1 in the 65th minute after Lewis supplied the ball, then completed the scoring in the 76th minute, finishing a pass from Ryan McAidoo. The five goals secured City a four-goal victory at the Etihad Stadium. The result followed City’s previous Champions League defeat to Paris Saint-Germain. The win came with a much-changed lineup, and Erling Haaland...