Despite the fact that City was defeated by Palace, Pep Guardiola chose to play Rodri alongside the youngster Rico Lewis rather than where he should have been. When Lewis was given the opportunity to play higher up than Phillips would have, he took advantage of it and scored a goal in addition to setting up another one the previous week.
Following Guardiola’s statement that he did not see Phillips functioning effectively within his system, the player had a difficult time proving his boss incorrect in Belgrade during the Champions League, despite the fact that he took a penalty with confidence. It was clear from the way he expressed his contentment after defeating Red Star that he was aware that this victory would not be sufficient to halt any momentum that was propelling him to leave in January.
Eddie Howe has pushed his club away from the England international, despite the fact that they require a holding midfielder due to Sandro Tonali’s suspension. The England international has been linked to Newcastle, but Eddie Howe has done so. However, if Phillips were to transfer to a Premier League opponent, it would be detrimental to City since it would strengthen their competition at a time when they do not have much room to move in the race for the crown.
Despite the fact that City is still intent on winning the championship, providing Newcastle an advantage could be detrimental to their own chances of success. At this moment, they are in fourth place in the league; but, by the time they return to action, they could be in sixth place. The city is aware that keeping a close check on them is the most effective method to regain their position among the top four.
On top of that, they have the responsibility of looking over Phillips. Despite the fact that Guardiola has stated that he will keep the player on the club if he does not make a move, Phillips does not appear to have many opportunities to play for the team after Christmas because his schedule becomes more hectic. As he himself stated, in order for him to be given a spot in England’s Euro 2024 squad, he needs to play on a consistent basis.
With a complete change of scenery, away from the scrutiny of the Premier League and without any comparisons to City, he might be able to get his career back on track if Juventus is serious about pursuing him. Without having to worry about Europe, he is able to concentrate on the competition for the Serie A championship, and he is also able to resume his regular playing schedule. If he continued to play in the Premier League, he would have to contend with the enormous amount of pressure that comes from fans and the media following his every move. This is because of what happened at City.
In order to determine whether Juventus’ interest in Italy is genuine or only words on paper, we will have to wait and see. However, it is possible that Phil Phillips and City as a whole might benefit from taking a break from the Premier League for a period of time.