Man City Morning Round-Up, Wednesday 21st October 2026: Foden Hat-Trick Inspires AEK Athens Thrashing as Maresca Gives Haaland Update
Manchester City put on a dazzling display at the Etihad as Phil Foden struck a hat-trick in a 5-1 Champions League win over AEK Athens, with ManCity.com and the Manchester Evening News both hailing his performance as sensational and match-winning (Manchester Evening News) (ManCity.com) (Manchester Evening News). The Guardian noted the result helped the team cut through off-field noise with a commanding display (The Guardian), while BBC Sport included City among the big winners on what was described as a record-breaking night in Europe (BBC Sport).
Rico Lewis also impressed on his return to the side, calling the display against AEK "massive" for his confidence and praising Foden as "unbelievable" (ManCity.com) (ManCity.com). Enzo Maresca spoke glowingly about Foden's quality, saying "I know how good Foden is" and adding "We are sure" about his qualities, while also praising his Academy graduates for shining on the night (ManCity.com) (ManCity.com) (Manchester Evening News). BBC Sport looked at how Foden could offer City an alternative route to goals (BBC Sport).
On the injury front, Maresca confirmed Erling Haaland was left out as a precaution with Saturday's Premier League trip to Aston Villa in mind, while further injury and return-date details were given for Haaland, Gvardiol and Nunes (Manchester Evening News) (Manchester Evening News).
Off the pitch, BBC Sport reported that the audit regulator is making inquiries into Manchester City's accounting, though no formal investigation has begun (BBC Sport). The Guardian also reported comments from Independent Football Regulator chair David Kogan, who said the body would have "absolute power" to force a sale of City's owners if the Premier League's verdict against the club is upheld, with City having appealed the charges (The Guardian). The Manchester Evening News added that a City chief has not ruled out the possibility of a second investigation into the club (Manchester Evening News). Elsewhere, Rico Lewis was described as having sent a timely reminder of his value to Maresca with his performance against AEK (Manchester Evening News).
With Haaland rested, attention now turns to City's Premier League trip to Aston Villa on Saturday (Manchester Evening News).
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.