Former Premier League winger Ashley Young has praised Phil Foden and Rayan Cherki's "sublime link-up play" in Manchester City's 5-1 win over AEK Athens in the Champions League.

Foden was the most featured name on the scoresheet, having scored a hat-trick and provided an assist to help Enzo Maresca's side back to winning ways in the competition.

"Phil Foden always wants to play close to goal - and that's when he's at his best," Young told BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily. "He wants to be in that number 10 position, but when you've got Rayan Cherki producing and playing the way he is then it is hard to get that opportunity.

"However, it was all about Foden against AEK Athens.

"With Erling Haaland not playing, there needed to be players running in behind and passing between players. I have to say, the link-up play between Foden and Cherki was sublime.

"It was unplayable at times, and AEK Athens didn't know what was going on or which way to turn. Cherki looked like he was having fun out there and Foden took the opportunity to show everybody what he's about once again.

"He was laying down a marker to say: 'Listen, I'm back'."

Former Liverpool defender Stephen Warnock added: "It will be interesting to see how Enzo Maresca deals with this, especially in terms of how he goes about drip feeding Cherki and Foden game time.

"One of them is going to be disappointed when they don't play, so how will he reiterate that both of them are still vitally important players for his system?

"The reality is every player wants to play every minute, but they can't. The game has evolved since I was a player, these days you have to be ready to step up two games down the line while also being ready to step in for 30 minutes of the next game."