Phil Foden vs Bukayo Saka debate: Head to head stats for Man City and Arsenal stars
“They’re just phenomenal to watch. People try to make comparisons of who’s better, etcetera. Just enjoy ‘em, man.”
Rio Ferdinand’s 2018 comments about Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have long been classic internet meme fodder, usually for people being far less sincere than the former Manchester United and England defender was.
However, when discussing the sublime talents of Phil Foden and Bukayo Saka earlier this year, Ferdinand might have done well to heed his own advice.
“You’ve got to look at Foden like he is world-class,” he said when discussing the Manchester City star on TNT Sport's UEFA Champions League coverage. “I don’t think [Saka is world-class] because he hasn’t done it at the top level, winning trophies in a team like this."
In our often interminable age of “GOATs” and “frauds”, Foden vs. Saka has become the latest battleground for fans of City, Arsenal and English football in general. On Sunday, it will play out at close quarters in a mouthwatering clash at the Etihad Stadium that could have a huge say in deciding the destination of the Premier League title.
Is Phil Foden the best player in the Premier League? Pep Guardiola's star compared to Mohamed Salah, Bukayo Saka
The debate owes much to their standing in the England national team. Evidently two of their country’s standout attacking players alongside Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham, Foden and Saka have sometimes felt like they are in direct competition, given Gareth Southgate’s desire to play a more defensively-minded midfielder alongside Declan Rice. That effectively leaves three spots up for grabs behind Kane and Bellingham’s Real Madrid exploits mean he’s locked in.
Foden started Euro 2020 in the England XI, while Saka finished it in the starting
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