'Not straightforward' - Man City star Phil Foden opens up on challenges, cup joy and chasing Arsenal

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Manchester City beat Arsenal 2-0 at Wembley in the Carabao Cup final and Phil Foden spoke after the game about his season so far and the remainder of the campaign

Phil Foden is confident he can recapture his best form as he targets a successful end to the season with Manchester City and a World Cup spot with England.

The 25-year-old has struggled for form and match minutes in recent weeks and was named on the bench for the Carabao Cup final against Arsenal, coming on for the final few minutes.

He has been called into the expanded England squad for the March internationals with his potential place in Thomas Tuchel's World Cup squad on the line amid a lack of club minutes and the form of others in his position.

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But the City star is hoping to use the international break to regain his sharpness and find the form he showed earlier in the campaign having scored 10 times before Christmas including a spell of six goals in five games.

"Football sometimes is not straightforward," said Foden, speaking in the mixed zone at Wembley after City's 2-0 victory over the Gunners. "There are ups and downs and sometimes you can't be the best version of yourself and that's the way it is.

"It's just about how you pick yourself back up. I'm still keeping my head down, trying to train as well as I can every day and hopefully I come back after the internationals a lot sharper and hopefully I can get more minutes and be back to where I was at the start of the season."

Foden will hope to feature in England's friendly fixtures with Uruguay and Japan before returning to City and playing a part in the run-in, with the Blues aiming for glory in the FA Cup and trying to chase down Arsenal at the top of the Premier League table.

The Blues trail Mikel Arteta's side by nine points but have a game in hand while the Gunners still have to visit the Etihad next month. And while Foden doesn't feel the Wembley win will deal a psychological blow to Arsenal, he does believe it offers Pep Guardiola's side a platform to kick on.

"Definitely," he said. "There's still so much to play for. We've got internationals now, so some lads can clear their heads and come back fresh. Yes, it's still possible to do, we still believe in it. It's just small steps in the right direction. It's a good confidence boost and we'll see when we get back.

"Everyone's buzzing. Obviously it could be a big turning point in the season. It's definitely a big confidence boost as well coming into the rest of the season."

On whether it will derail Arsenal, he added: "I don't think so. It's a different competition altogether and I think it's just good to win it. I don't think it's got anything to do with the title. There's still a lot to play for."