Guardiola Unpacks Foden’s England Prospects, Haaland’s Fire, and City’s Momentum Ahead of Brentford

Guardiola previews Brentford clash and key squad topics

Pep Guardiola, Manchester City's manager, addressed several key issues concerning his players and the squad during the pre-match press conference for Sunday's visit to Brentford, the seventh round of the Premier League.

He explained Phil Foden's situation with the England team, outlined how the squad is evolving, and also commented on Erling Haaland's remarks after City’s European draw with Monaco.

Guardiola praised Foden's recent performances, saying that continuing this form will quickly return him to England's squad, after being left out by the Three Lions coach Thomas Tuchel.

Guardiola added: 'Thomas (Tuchel) knows what the national team needs better than me by a thousand times. All I can say is that if Foden keeps playing the way he is now, he will definitely be recalled'.

He continued: 'When players go to the national team I am happy, but I am happier when they return fit. Foden is the best player we have in those tight spaces in the final third by a wide margin. Last season we missed many of his goals and assists'.

Foden had a rocky start to the season, missing games against Wolves and Brighton, but since the international break in September he has returned strongly, scoring against Manchester United, crafting a goal against Napoli, then scoring and assisting against Huddersfield, becoming a key piece in a six-match started run.

The Foden-England situation, call-ups, and form

Tuchel justified not summoning Foden despite his recent form, saying: 'It's been only three weeks since the last camp and the win over Serbia. The question was why not call the same group again? Because they set the standards, and now the task is to translate that into a habit'.

Nevertheless, Guardiola stopped short of criticizing the German coach’s decision, stressing that Foden is in the right mental state to return to the national team soon.

In addition to Foden, Guardiola praised other players invited to the squad. John Stones and James Trafford were named to the senior team, while Nico O'Reilly and Rico Lewis were selected for the Under-21s.

About O'Reilly, Guardiola said: 'We wanted him, so we did what was necessary to keep him here longer. I’m very happy because he’s developing a lot'.

He added: 'Since he began playing with us we have lost only one match, the FA Cup final against Crystal Palace. He has helped a lot, sharpened his aggression, and become dangerous on set pieces and with the ball. We’re very pleased with his progress'.

Haaland’s anger, defense, and City’s momentum

Regarding the team's improvement after the latest international window, Guardiola said: 'The most satisfying feeling is that we’ve improved. I love this feeling. And the sense that we can be better. That’s what I love about coaching: the sense that we’re re-creating tempo and speed. Everything is more fluid and consistent, but we can be better, and that’s what I love'.

City had lost two of three before the break, but since then they have produced a six-match run without defeat across league and Champions League, with four wins and two draws.

On Haaland’s remarks after the Monaco match, where he scored twice but City conceded late, leaving the team level, Guardiola noted that Haaland can be emotional but the team must address the lapses.

Guardiola replied: 'I love when they’re like that. I don’t know, my feelings about the team when performance is poor; I don’t like to express them publicly. I prefer to keep them to myself and to my players, in the cellar as I say, to share there'.

He added: 'We were all angry. We want to win but we couldn’t. We did many things well, and there are other things to improve. It’s natural in the process. We’ll work on it. We had chances for a third goal; it’s not a problem'.

Guardiola said he prefers to absorb the heat from his players’ comments, stressing that anger is legitimate, but the priority is to fix things inside the dressing room away from the media noise.

City head into Brentford sitting on a six-game unbeaten run since the international window, and another positive result on Sunday would stretch that to seven.

Foden’s record against Brentford remains strong, and this could be another golden chance to show his return to form while sending a message to England’s coach.

Punchline 1: Guardiola’s press conferences are so precise, even the punchlines get offside.

Punchline 2: If humor were a free kick, City would bend it into the top corner and still complain about the wind.