Marcus Rashford, Phil Foden, Harry Kane, Cole Palmer – How English talent lit up opening UEFA Champions League week

No other country had as many as the three player-of-the-match awards given to English players, who starred across Europe in Munich, Newcastle, Manchester, and Turin.

As Manchester City fell away last season, so too did Phil Foden.

But in the last week, he produced arguably two of his best displays of the calendar year to raise hopes of a return to form.

“You cannot imagine how much we missed him – this is the Phil we know when he played close to Haaland and was the best player in the Premier League,” said Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola about Foden on Thursday evening.

“Last year he could not be there. We are so happy, as I know he is happy and has joy – and when his life is fine, the rest is natural and his incredible talent comes along.

“Everyone in our life we need to be loved. Some people are sensitive, and he is a guy who needs to feel embraced, with me, with the club. After that, he is the player that he is.”

Foden was not the only player who showed signs of looking back to his best this week.

“We’ve just not seen enough nights like that. But it’s great to see him smiling and back at it.

“When he’s at his best, he’s an England starter, he could be a Barcelona starter, he could get into any team in the world, and you just want to see him enjoying his football again – it was great tonight.”

The England striker netted his first from the penalty spot and then dispatched the second into the bottom corner following a misplaced pass from Malo Gusto.

Kane, who was also named player of the match, boasts an incredible record of 95 goals in 102 games for Bayern since joining in the summer of 2023.

“He is the best centre-forward in the world, in terms of the complete package,” said Cole on TNT Sports.

“It’s horses for courses what you like, but if I’m a manager and it’s 1-1 in the last minute of a cup final and I can have any player for a chance to finish, then it’s Harry Kane.”

Former Bayern Munich midfielder Owen Hargreaves praised Kane’s “smart” play and said his achievements are “underrated”.

“Penalties, big moments, he can drop off and play as a No. 10. Erling Haaland has these crazy physical gifts and is a lethal finisher, but Harry is such a smart player.

“I think he is somehow underrated, if that’s possible when you score that many goals. But I think because he is so quiet and humble he maybe doesn’t get the limelight that some of the others get, but I reckon most managers, if they could have one striker, it would be Harry.”

Chelsea’s Cole Palmer came close to matching Kane’s two goals at the Allianz Arena.

Palmer scored a brilliant goal to get Chelsea back into the game, running through the Bayern half, laying the ball off and then finishing first time from the return pass.

He thought he had netted a second only for it to be ruled out for offside.

Hargreaves said Palmer is one of his “favourite players to watch”, while Cole called him a “genius” as he praised his technique for the goal.

“People might have thought I was going a bit too wild over that goal because it’s a simple one-two. But running at that pace, leaving it in the right position on the back foot of Gusto, and then having the wherewithal to open up your body on the run and just hit it with the meat of your foot to lift it into the roof of the net.

“The kid’s a genius. It’s a privilege to have him at Chelsea and England, and he was brilliant tonight.”

What a week for former Newcastle and Bournemouth defender Lloyd Kelly.

The defender has now seemingly earned the trust of head coach Igor Tudor, having played every minute in the current campaign.