Phil Foden is the natural successor to the 32-year-old Spaniard who has been dubbed “one of the club’s greatest ever signings”.

Speaking exclusively to 888sport former City defender Joleon Lescott, who now works with the club’s youngsters sent out on loan, is adamant Foden has the Etihad, and the world, at his feet.

Many expected Foden to burst into the starting XI this season, but Lescott insists it’s crazy to suggest he would walk into a world-class line-up.
He said: “Let’s be realistic about it. Man City have some of the best players in the world in their respective positions so for Phil Foden to break into that team at 17, it’s going to be very difficult.

And possibly one of the greatest signing Man City have ever made is David Silva, and he’s in his position so it’s not going to be easy.”

“If he doesn’t get that many starts until then, then goes straight into the team, it’s great management by the manager and the club.”
Lescott, 36, rejects the idea that it’s a necessity for the England youngster to be sent out on loan when he is already training every day and learning off a world class bunch.

He added: “If he is deemed good enough for Man City, not every team plays the same style. He wouldn’t be able to benefit as much as you might think.”
“But Phil Foden is definitely one for the future and he is here to stay.”

“You have to have the mentality that you are worthy of training with the first-team every day and on top of that you have to have the quality in order to sustain that level of consistency. He’s pretty much making the bench every week, which is a credit to him at 17 at Man City and being able to keep the top stars off the bench is all down to him.”

While the future is bright for Foden, and City who Lescott believes are in pole position to retain their Premier League title, another one of the retired centre-half’s former clubs have also impressed him.

Wolves have made a super start to their first season back in the top flight, sitting in 10th spot with just one loss from their first six games.
This included impressive draws away at both Manchester clubs - and deserved ones too.

And while the likes of Joao Moutinho and Ruben Neves continue to earn rave reviews, Lescott wants to make sure one man gets the credit.
“Manager Nuno Espirito Santo is massive, a massive part of what they are trying to achieve,” said Lescott. “I don’t think he will be in any rush to leave anytime soon.”

“I wasn’t one of these people who was surprised or questioned his appointment, but I was hoping it would go well, and it has gone well. Credit to him and the powers that be who saw the qualities he has.”

Lescott started his career at Molineux, spending six years there before moving on to Everton. And it is the Toffees who Lescott feels have not quite got the right fit so far this season - not helped by new signings failing to improve the squad. The defence has been heavily invested in, with £27.23m spent on Yerry Mina, £18.18m on Lucas Digne, and £7.1m spent on Kurt Zouma’s loan fee.

That’s in addition to the near-£30m deal that brought stopper Michael Keane to the club from Burnley the previous summer. But the best defender was there all along according to Lescott.

He continued: “For me, in regards to their defence, their center-half position, Phil Jagielka is still their best center-half for me. They have spent a lot of money in that position in recent years. I’m good friends with Jags and it’s no disrespect, but that shouldn’t be the case at 36 and in recent seasons you’ve spent over £60m on center-halves.”

“Your best one is still at the club. They probably haven’t bought as wise as they should have, but Jags is still the top lad there in my eyes. It’s no disrespect to say that in my eyes, the other players are not as good.”

But despite just one win in their first six games, "Marco Silva needs to be given more time to get things right". Lescott added: “I’m not sure if he is under that pressure. I don’t think he is thinking ‘I need three wins or I will get sacked’."

“In regards to what they would expect as a club, they would expect to win some of the upcoming games, but outside of the top four, who does go and win three games on the road? It’s easy to say on paper, but in reality, it’s difficult.”

Joleon Lescott Quickfire Questions:

Man City vs Brighton – score prediction and first goalscorer.
Raheem Sterling, and 4-0 Man City

Who will win the league?
Man City. Who will win the Premier League Odds

Who will win the Golden Boot?
Aguero. More Top Goal Scorer Odds

Who will win the Champions League
Juventus. It’s like when Sir Alex Ferguson went out and bought Van Persie to score goals, Juventus have done the same with Ronaldo. More Champions League Odds
 

From a global perspective, and certainly a British one, F1 is always going to be the king of motorsports. As of August 2018, British drivers account for seventeen world titles – five ahead of Germany – having also produced no less than ten different championship-winning drivers.

No other nation has managed to produce more than three, and it is a stat that looks set to stand the test of time. F1 racing has always been a great commercial draw, but that has not stopped the sport from entertaining a constant state of evolution.

Now, in the age of DRS zones and futuristic in-car HUD, the instinct for survival once needed in F1 racing has now given way to technical skill.

The race is seemingly won and lost long before the cars hit the track, with the usual suspects from Ferrari and Mercedes always being odds-on to reach the podium.

For those that want excitement and unpredictability, F1’s lifespan is going to become ever shorter if the status quo of Mercedes' Formula One dominance continues, and thus alternatives may be sought.

Although GT, touring and stock car racing events generally offer more in the way of surprises, the less streamlined histories behind them will always be a hindrance in their quest to justify a wider presence on television.

Other events like endurance racing and WRC events arguably have the greatest sense of individuality, but they are very niche tastes.

As such, the attentions of those starting to feel jaded with F1 racing may defect from cars to bikes, in their quest for fossil-fuelled entertainment.

Formula One To Be 'Unseated'?

MotoGP is unquestionably F1’s counterpart in the motorbike racing world. Many tracks used for F1 now double as part of the MotoGP calendar, and unlike F1, riders can be ‘unseated’ at the slightest misjudgement.

Though there are favourites in MotoGP as there are in F1, the predictability factor is reduced by this most obvious of changes.

For those that like fairy tales, especially those that involve a young rider’s very tangible climb to the top, MotoGP also offers a greater sense of reality below the top tier of the sport.

While greater efforts are now being made in Formula driving to publicise and add glamour to F2 and GP3 events, there remain some doubts as to the relevance they have to F1.

In Formula driving, a driver has ‘it’ or doesn’t, and while institutions such as the Ferrari Driving Academy may have a good deal of ability where nurturing talent is concerned, there is still a general consensus that only those born to be the best will be so.

In Moto racing, Moto3 and Moto2 races take place on the morning and early afternoon of the main MotoGP event itself.

Sharing a paddock with the best riders on the planet is an inspiring experience, which eclipses that of a junior Formula driver watching on a screen.

Though three Moto races is roughly equal to one F1 race, with just an hour’s break between each event, there is also a very real sense of commitment from the viewer.

While this can also put off those less attached to their televisions, its growing absorption abilities are in no doubt.

Rossi: An Icon, But A Nuisance

To become a true global phenomenon that is equal to F1, there must be real title contenders from countries other than Italy or Spain every year, without fail.

While the 21st century has seen non-European riders win the big one, two great rivals have conspired to prevent that – largely to success.

In the 2000s, Valentino Rossi was very much the Michael Schumacher of MotoGP, winning title after title, having also become the first ever rider to win titles in four different CC divisions.

If the 2000s belonged to Rossi, then arch-rival and Spaniard Marc Marquez is undoubtedly the man of the 2010s.

He is seen by Rossi fans as a usurper, and with Marquez moving up the ‘world title’ stakes alongside Jorge Lorenzo, who entered September as odds-on favourite, Spain is now the definitive powerhouse of MotoGP.

Where British audiences are concerned, there was no incentive to pay much attention to MotoGP until 21 August 2016.

On that day, British drivers John McPhee and Cal Crutchlow topped the podiums, respectively, in their Moto3 and MotoGP events at Brno Circuit.

Crutchlow’s triumph ended over three decades of winless hurt for British MotoGP riders, and though it had little bearing on the title race, it will be seen as a defining day of the sport, if it ever does gain an equal footing with F1 on the shores of Britain.

Stardom And Accessibility Key To Success

Though viewing figures are always open to manipulation and misinterpretation, there is an ever-growing belief that F1’s viewing figures have been in decline for several years, while MotoGP continues to grow.

However, MotoGP must better market its drivers to take advantage of whatever ‘power shift’ the more objective race fans believe to exist.

The brutal truth is that everybody can recognise a picture of Lewis Hamilton. Yet, show a picture of Cal Crutchlow to anyone other than an ardent MotoGP fan, and there would be many a scratched head and vacant expression.

Within MotoGP, the personalities needed for greater commercial success are there, as is the public interest on the other side of the television screen. Now all that is needed is a powerful catalyst in the wider media to market it in the right way.

Everybody wants to douse themselves in Champagne atop the podium in illustrious locales like Monaco or Monza after climbing heroically out of a cockpit.

Yet, when a man from somewhere as innocuous as Stevenage is repeatedly shown doing so, the lifespan of the magical ‘fairy-tale’ factor fans first enjoyed after his 2008 title win is automatically set to be a long one.

An Opportunity Missed in Britain?

That is something MotoGP advocates across the world would do well to project within their riders of their respective native countries, firstly to a national audience, with a view to expansion pending success and talent.

Britain is no exception in that regard, but the clock is ticking on the initial sense of magic created by Crutchlow’s breakthrough win of 2016.

Crutchlow is from Coventry, a working-class city that is dwarfed by neighbouring Birmingham, but literally rose from the ashes after the Second World War.

From that came a man who broke a thirty-five-year curse, doing so despite having inferior machinery, winning with only his skill and guile on the track.

Yet, the opportunity to use that narrative, with a view to giving him the same exalted status as Hamilton – then in the midst of losing his F1 title to Nico Rosberg – came and went with barely a whimper on a wider scale.

It is that sort of accessibility that British advocates of MotoGP must ingrain into those same impressionable audiences if any sort of parity with F1 is to be enjoyed in the future.

While silverware is an obvious factor in the creation of heroes within any sport, the back-stories and their contributions to the flag they bear are raw material enough to make it work.

*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*

Last weekend’s Premier League action was not the best we’ve ever seen. It was watchable for the most part, despite some pretty ordinary performances, but we did not see the drama of previous weeks.

With each team having played six matches, though, patterns have emerged. We know more about this season conclusions each week. Here are five from this round of matches…

Shaqiri Gives Liverpool Crucial Depth

Xherdan Shaqiri was, despite being a million miles better than anyone else playing for Stoke last season, somehow the focus of criticism. Liverpool made the shrewd move to trigger his release clause this summer.

Shaqiri can cover as the most advanced midfielder or play in the front three.

He started in the middle three for Jurgen Klopp against Southampton this weekend and dominated the match, including a stunning free-kick that was a foot or so from going in.

Depth has been an issue for Liverpool. The acquisition of Shaqiri goes a long way to addressing that.

Burnley Do Burnley Things Again

Despite conceding 19 shots and having just 12 themselves, Burnley beat Bournemouth 4-0 at Turf Moor on Saturday afternoon. It was, after a rough start to the season, the most Burnley performance imaginable.

Sean Dyche’s side specialise in defying logic. Their success of last season was built on that premise, and they need it to continue this year if they are to avoid a relegation battle.

They might not win many by four clear goals, but this was a huge result for the Clarets, who are now out of the bottom three. Bournemouth, meanwhile, will have been left wondering how what happened.

Auba And Laca Shining For Arsenal

For all the concern after two defeats in two matches, Arsenal are just four points behind Chelsea and Manchester City after beating Everton 2-0 at home on Sunday.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette built on impressive records for the club.

Aubameyang and Lacazette have both scored in three of the last five Premier League matches in which they have started together. ?⚽️

Hit ❤ if you think Arsenal have the best striker partnership in the league!#ARSEVE pic.twitter.com/BBs8aCaaIy

— 888sport (@888sport) 23 September 2018

Lacazette has 17 goals in 29 league starts, while Aubameyang has 12 in 18. It still doesn’t look quite right with Aubameyang out on the left, but the pair are continuing to deliver.

Unai Emery’s side are getting results. Having two finishers of the calibre of Aubameyang and Lacazette could buy the new Arsenal manager time that he might not have otherwise had.

Chelsea's Perfection Ends

Chelsea were short of the attacking fluidity of previous weeks as they drew 0-0 with West Ham on Sunday.

Maurizio Sarri’s decision to play a strong side in the Europa League may well have played a part, particularly given the sloppy performances from Jorginho and Willian in the second half.

West Ham as good as nullified Eden Hazard. The Belgian made some strange decisions in front of goal, notably when he tried to give it Alvaro Morata when he could have scored himself.

Chelsea’s attack is massively dependent on Hazard, their credentials as a top four team, let alone title contenders, relies on performances like this being a rare occurrence.

The Blues dropped to third after the draw and face Liverpool twice this week. We are about to find out just how good they are.

Huddersfield Are In Big Trouble

Even after going ahead in the first 10 minutes, Huddersfield slumped to a 3-1 defeat away to Leicester.

The result itself was no surprise, but it leaves the Terriers bottom of the table without a win having scored three goals so far. David Wagner’s side are simply short on quality.

Their attack, just like last season, does not create anywhere near enough opportunities and the defence is vulnerable, as Kelechi Iheanacho and Jamie Vardy benefitted from on Saturday.

It’s not just that Huddersfield will be battling all season. It’s that they might be cut adrift before Christmas.