Foden opened the scoring at the Etihad Stadium, returning to action after his red card against Manchester United in September. Daizen Maeda equalised two minutes later, but Erling Haaland scored twice to put City in control before Zian Flemming's late penalty made for an anxious finish.
The win gave City seven victories from their opening seven league matches and extended their lead at the top of the table. Foden also praised the atmosphere generated by a crowd of 60,817, with supporters making their backing felt amid the club's ongoing dispute with the Premier League.
“The atmosphere was class today! I could feel the presence of the fans, pushing us on in every single way, and it was a great atmosphere!” he told the club's official website.
“Today was just about getting the job done, no matter how we did it, it was obviously a difficult game. It’s just all about getting the three points.”
City's supporters brought inflatable bananas to the stadium, one of which Foden held during his post-match interview. Asked about it, he joked: “I'm going to get one for my son as a present, I think. I think he wanted one, so I can give him one now.”
The light-hearted moment came against a serious backdrop. The Premier League's verdict in its financial case against City has intensified scrutiny of the club, which denies the charges and is pursuing an appeal. Foden insisted the situation had not disrupted the squad.
“It hasn't affected us one bit,” he said. “We've just stuck together, just did what we normally do and focus on the games one by one and just be ourselves. I think we've done that really well.”
He added: “We have great characters and leaders in the changing room. Nothing's changed. We're just fully focused and trying to do the best for the fans that we can.”
For Foden, the goal was also a personal relief. The academy graduate had been waiting for the chance to celebrate again and believes the strike can help restore his confidence.
“I’ve been needing that goal for a long time!” he said. “It can only do good now for my confidence. My main focus is just about helping the team the best I can, and trying to do my job.”
Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca has also stressed that the players are improving with each game, while Foden's message was clear: the team intend to keep their attention on results rather than outside noise.