Enzo Maresca has reportedly told Phil Foden that he must improve his discipline after the Manchester City star was sent off during the dramatic Manchester derby.
Foden’s dismissal came during City’s meeting with Manchester United at Old Trafford, when the England international reacted to an incident involving Bruno Fernandes and kicked out at the United captain. The referee showed Foden a straight red card, forcing Manchester City to play with 10 men for the majority of the match.
Although Manchester City eventually secured a memorable victory thanks to Erling Haaland’s goal, Foden’s sending-off immediately became one of the biggest talking points surrounding the match.
For Maresca, the result was obviously important, but the incident also provided a reminder that Foden must control his emotions better in difficult moments.
The City manager has previously made it clear that he wants to help Foden return to his best level. Maresca knows the player particularly well after previously working with him during his time on Pep Guardiola’s coaching staff.
Before the new season began, Maresca spoke positively about Foden and said his responsibility was to help him become the player everyone knows he can be. He also emphasised that Foden is capable of deciding matches when he is playing with confidence and enjoying his football.
That makes the disciplinary issue particularly frustrating.
Foden is one of Manchester City’s most technically gifted players, and Maresca is expected to rely heavily on him during the season. His ability to operate between midfield and attack, create chances and score important goals makes him an extremely valuable member of the squad.
However, his talent cannot protect him from the consequences of poor decisions on the pitch.
The Manchester derby red card demonstrated exactly how quickly an emotional reaction can change a match.
City were forced to reorganise after Foden’s dismissal, with Maresca having to make tactical adjustments to compensate for the numerical disadvantage. Instead of controlling the match with their normal possession-based approach, City had to work harder defensively while looking for opportunities to counterattack.
Maresca later explained that he instructed his players to continue attacking despite being reduced to 10 men. City eventually found the decisive goal through Haaland and held on for the victory.
But while the three points were secured, Foden’s absence became a major concern.
Maresca subsequently acknowledged that Foden understood his reaction had been wrong.
The manager said the player was extremely disappointed at half-time because he knew there had been a problem with his reaction. Maresca also explained that Foden was happier after the match and had responded well in training afterwards.
That reaction could be important for the player’s development.
Maresca does not appear to be interested in publicly attacking Foden or allowing one mistake to define his season. Instead, the manager’s approach has been to make the player understand the consequences while helping him move forward.
However, the message remains clear: Foden cannot afford to repeat the same mistake.
At the highest level of football, discipline can be just as important as technical ability.
A player can be having an excellent match, but one moment of frustration can leave his team exposed. This is particularly significant for Manchester City because their opponents are likely to punish any unnecessary mistakes.
Foden’s red card also came at a difficult moment for the player personally.
Maresca had already been trying to get the best out of him after a period in which Foden had struggled to consistently reproduce the outstanding form that previously saw him recognised as one of the Premier League’s leading players.
The City manager has repeatedly expressed his confidence in the England international.
Maresca has described Foden as a player who can win matches when he is in the right condition and has spoken about his desire to help him rediscover his best football.
That is why discipline has become another important part of Foden’s development.
Maresca wants Foden to become not only a better footballer but also a more mature leader.
The decision to leave Foden outside City’s official four-man captaincy hierarchy earlier in the season also generated discussion. Maresca nevertheless stressed that Foden remains an important figure at the club and described him as one of the players who belongs within the leadership group because of his connection with Manchester City.
For Foden, that responsibility means learning how to deal with pressure.
Opponents know how important he is to City and will attempt to frustrate him. Defenders will challenge him physically, midfielders will attempt to prevent him from receiving the ball in dangerous areas, and rival players will look for opportunities to disrupt his rhythm.
The better Foden becomes at controlling his emotions, the more difficult he will be to stop.
Maresca is therefore expected to use the incident as a learning opportunity rather than allowing it to become a long-term problem.
The manager knows that Foden’s natural competitiveness is part of what makes him effective. He does not want to remove the aggression and passion from his game. Instead, he wants the player to understand the difference between competitive intensity and losing control.
That distinction could become extremely important during City’s campaign.
Manchester City are entering a new era under Maresca, and the manager needs his senior players to take responsibility. With several experienced figures having departed, the club’s remaining leaders are expected to play bigger roles both on and off the pitch.
Foden is one of those players.
He came through City’s academy, understands the culture of the club and has already experienced the pressure of playing at the highest level. Maresca clearly believes he has the quality to become one of the central figures of the new Manchester City.
But with that status comes responsibility.
The red card against Manchester United showed that even an established star can make a costly mistake.
Maresca’s message to Foden is therefore understood to be straightforward: keep the passion, but control the reaction.
The midfielder will also have to accept that disciplinary mistakes can have consequences beyond one match.
His suspension means City must cope without one of their most talented attacking players during subsequent fixtures. Maresca acknowledged that the suspension was a significant blow because Foden had been performing well and had started the derby positively before his dismissal.
For a manager attempting to build a new team, losing an important player because of a preventable disciplinary incident is something he will want to avoid in the future.
Foden’s challenge now is to respond in the right way.
Rather than allowing the red card to affect his confidence, he will need to use the experience as motivation to become more disciplined.
His talent has never really been in question.
His ability to score, create, carry the ball and influence games is already well established. Maresca’s task is to make sure Foden combines those qualities with greater maturity and consistency.
If he succeeds, Foden could become one of the biggest beneficiaries of Maresca’s arrival.
The manager has already shown that he believes in him and wants him to return to the level that previously made him one of the Premier League’s standout players.
But Foden must also meet the manager halfway.
That means working hard in training, maintaining his focus during matches and, most importantly, learning to walk away from situations that could result in unnecessary punishment.
The Manchester derby may ultimately be remembered as a match City won despite playing with 10 men, but for Foden it should become a lesson.
Maresca will want him to understand that his team needs him on the pitch, not in the dressing room after an avoidable red card.
The message from the City manager is therefore not that Foden should become less aggressive or less passionate.
It is that he must become smarter.
If Foden can learn to control his emotions while maintaining the intensity that has helped make him such a dangerous player, Manchester City could benefit enormously.
Maresca clearly believes the England international still has another level to reach.
And if Foden can improve his discipline alongside his football, the manager will hope that the midfielder can become one of the leading figures of Manchester City’s new era.