LONDON – Phil Foden is relishing “six more finals” after helping Manchester City keep in control of the English Premier League title race by reaching the landmark of 50 top-flight goals.

The England midfielder hit his half-century with the first of his two strikes in the 4-0 hammering of Brighton & Hove Albion on April 25 – the victory meant that City are one point behind leaders Arsenal with a game in hand.

Pep Guardiola’s side continue their quest to become champions for an unprecedented fourth consecutive season at relegation-threatened Nottingham Forest on April 28.

They then face Wolverhampton Wanderers, Fulham, Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United before a second successive FA Cup final against Manchester United.

“It’s a great milestone to reach,” Foden told City’s website. “I’m really delighted at the moment with the position I’m playing and I keep finding the back of the net for the team.

“I want to keep trying to do that because when I find the net we seem to go and win games. There are six matches left, so six more finals to go and I just want to keep trying to help the team.”

The 23-year-old, who now has 24 goals for the season and 16 in the league, feels City’s past achievements – especially after winning the treble last season – will help calm nerves in a tense run-in.

“I wouldn’t say it’s an advantage but I feel it makes us a lot calmer,” he said. “We’ve done it before, we have all the experience in the world. I think that’s a little bit of a positive that we don’t really feel the nerves.”

And if it is not clear enough that City are the favourites to win the title, Guardiola has hinted that they could have their prolific scorer Erling Haaland back for the game against Forest.

The striker, who has 20 league goals this season, sat out both the win over Brighton and last weekend’s FA Cup semi-final victory over Chelsea with a muscle injury.

“I prefer to have Erling at my disposal than (without him),” said Guardiola, who otherwise has a fully fit squad when they travel to the City Ground.

“I spoke with him, and he says he feels better, I don’t know.”

If Haaland is still unfit, the onus will be on Foden to score, and Guardiola is more than happy for him to do that but also urged the attacker to play with a bit more caution.

“I said many times Phil has a sixth gear,” the City boss said. “But he cannot play all the time in the sixth gear, he has to play with a second or the third. And I think with time he will learn that; (against Brighton) he was much better.

“Everything is so quick. Football has to be sometimes slower, to surprise the opponents. But it is a question of time, he will understand the game through years and years and experiences.

“He loves to play, and his work ethic is unbelievable, how he runs and presses. We are really pleased and hopefully in the last month we have ahead of us, he doesn’t stop.”

On facing Forest, Guardiola said there should be zero margin for error, despite their opponents struggling for survival.

“I’ve been in that stadium and always it is unbelievable, but what I’m concerned about is the strikers they have. We have to control the weapons that they have,” he added.

That “striker” in particular, would be Chris Wood, who has 12 league goals this season, including four in his last six.

Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo, however, accepts that his team are huge underdogs.

“We will be facing one of the most demanding opponents we have in the league,” he said.

“We’re going to fight, here at the City Ground, our home, with the support of our fans, who we humbly ask once again to support us and give us the extra energy that we need. It is going to be a tough one.” AFP, REUTERS