Man City Afternoon Round-Up, Wednesday 21st October 2026: Maresca Hails Foden Hat-Trick Hero

Enzo Maresca has been full of praise for Phil Foden after the midfielder struck a hat-trick in the Champions League win over AEK Athens, with the manager describing him as "one of the best English players" (BBC Sport).

Elsewhere, there's been attention on the atmosphere at the Etihad, with BBC Sport looking into why City supporters have made a habit of booing the pre-match Premier League and Champions League anthems (BBC Sport). Manchester Evening News also examined the sight of empty seats during the AEK Athens fixture, with only 40,000 in attendance, and argued the reasons behind it are more complicated than simple jokes suggest (Manchester Evening News).

On the individual honours front, ManCity.com has put together a guide covering everything fans need to know ahead of the 2026 Ballon d'Or (ManCity.com).

This round-up is written with the help of AI, using only the day's headlines from the publishers credited above. Each point links to the original report — tap the source name to read it in full.