The stunning assist that resurrected Phil Foden’s World Cup hopes

ETIHAD STADIUM — A few weeks ago, I was concerned that Phil Foden and his fabulous talent had hit the buffers. Potentially forever.

Hauled off at Wembley before the hour mark in Manchester City’s FA Cup semi-final tussle with second-tier sleuths Southampton, Foden looked like a beaten man as he trudged off, another nadir amid a second successive season to forget.

This was when this generational talent was supposed to be well on the way to being the greatest midfielder to ever wear the England shirt. Not a benchwarmer in a City side who seemed to be giving up on him.

Since signing a lucrative new contract earlier this month, something that, on the face of it, appeared rather churlish from a slick operational unit like City given Foden’s two-year form struggles, there has been a glimmer of the “Stockport Iniesta” finding his dancing shoes once more.

Against Everton last week, as City’s grasp on the Premier League title slipped away, Foden’s late cameo off the bench was full of the vigour that had been absent for so long.

City were tepid in the extreme at the weekend against Brentford, until Jeremy Doku inspired them to victory. Foden’s introduction also deserved an honourable mention.

The real beacon of hope came last night. Again, City were labouring early on against a Crystal Palace side who were causing more problems than the script suggested they would.

Jean-Philippe Mateta stunned the Etihad into silence early on after finding the net, before a late linesman’s flag caused widespread relief.

A much-changed City, with the FA Cup final to come at the weekend, looked shorn of joie de vivre. What they needed was a moment. The source of that match-defining pass was a welcome one.

A no-look backheel to set up the opener for Antoine Semenyo was not the mark of a midfield maestro on the wane. The fact Foden even tried it was heartening enough, but to pull it off, in such a pressurised situation, could do revolutionary things.

Another assist shortly followed for Omar Marmoush’s second in the first half, completing the job with time to spare, to at least give Arsenal something to think about ahead of the weekend.

Finding that knack of creating something out of nothing again could not be more timely, with the World Cup on the horizon.

Knockout international football is all about moments. The latter stages are always especially tight, where one piece of incredible skill is enough to settle an entire contest.

Foden hardly warrants a starting berth, but could Bukayo Saka, Cole Palmer or Eberechi Eze come up with something similar in pressurised situations? Remarkably, in this most unflattering campaign, Foden has more Premier League goal contributions than all three.

The smile as he was withdrawn, minutes before Savinho made sure of City’s success late on, said it all. As did the reaction of his manager, who greeted the departing local hero like a son who had just come home from a year abroad.

Guardiola would love nothing more than restoring Foden to his former glories before heading for the hills himself. There’s a long, long way to go, but there have been signs recently that all may not be totally lost yet.