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

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The first week of the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League league phase delivered plenty of thrilling matches and superb goals, with Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur among the teams claiming wins. There were also three player-of-the-match displays from English stars, with Three Lions manager Thomas Tuchel on hand to see Marcus Rashford dazzle against Newcastle at St James' Park.

‘I'm full of excitement’ – Rashford says it is ‘refreshing’ to play for Barca

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Three player-of-the-match performances, seven goals, including a 96th-minute equaliser and a rocket that stunned St James’ Park, plus a player looking back to his "best" - it was a week to remember for English players in the UEFA Champions League.

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.

England manager Thomas Tuchel was on hand to see one player look "unstoppable" while another was described as a "genius" following his performance.

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Phil Foden

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

For many, the England international was well below the level that saw him win the 2023/24 Premier League Player of the Season award and found himself in and out of the Manchester City line-up - he made 20 league starts compared with the 33 he managed the previous campaign.

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.

After impressing in the Manchester derby, he shone in a player-of-the-match display against Napoli, providing a lovely dinked assist for Erling Haaland’s first goal.

"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.

Highlights: Haaland breaks another record to lead Man City past De Bruyne’s Napoli

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"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 will be hoping to continue his upturn in form and fight his way back into the England fold after missing out on the recent September internationals.

Marcus Rashford

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

Marcus Rashford lit up St James’ Park with a thunderous strike as Barcelona started their Champions League campaign with a 2-1 win over Newcastle.

Rashford also headed in the opening goal as he got off the mark in style with a player-of-the-match display for Barca, who he joined on a season-long loan from Manchester United in the summer.

It has been a while since Rashford has had a game like this - his last Champions League goal came in October 2021 - but like a few other players in recent memory, he showed United what they might be missing.

"When he's at the top of his game, he can be unstoppable," said TNT Sports expert Joe Cole.

"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."

Newcastle's Anthony Gordon praised Rashford for an "unbelievable" goal, and his display will surely have impressed England manager Tuchel, who was in the stands at St James’ Park.

Highlights: Rashford bags stunning brace as Barcelona sink Newcastle

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Harry Kane

Harry Kane made it 10 goals in six appearances this season as he scored twice in Bayern Munich’s 3-1 win over Chelsea.

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.

Highlights: Kane strikes twice to lead Bayern past Chelsea despite Palmer heroics

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"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."

Kane is 'underrated' says Hargreaves as Cole calls him 'the complete package'

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Cole Palmer

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.

'Super finish' from Palmer gets Chelsea 'back in the game' after wild start

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"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."

Palmer is among the nominees for the 2025 Ballon d'Or, which will be awarded next week.

Lloyd Kelly

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

On Sunday, he scored his first goal for Juventus in a thrilling 4-3 victory over Inter in Serie A.

Then, a few days later, he became the first English player to score for Juve in the Champions League as he netted a 96th-minute equaliser in an incredible 4-4 draw against Borussia Dortmund.

Kelly sparks 'remarkable scenes' as Juve fight back to earn thrilling 4-4 draw

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Kelly is an unlikely hero considering there were reports in the summer that the Serie A side could be open to selling him, shortly after making his loan move from Newcastle permanent.

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

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