Nico O'Reilly had the ball at his feet near the Crystal Palace box, a defender tight on his back, when he chose the least obvious option available. He held off his marker with his strength, then backheeled the ball clean through the defender's legs and turned upfield. The move came during Manchester City's 4-1 win at Selhurst Park last Friday, and it has earned the Academy graduate a nomination for the Premier League's Adobe Express Moment of the Match award for August.
The award recognises a single piece of skill rather than a full performance, and the two City players nominated for this month's prize produced their moments in very different settings. O'Reilly's came away from home against a Crystal Palace side that had made life difficult for City in previous meetings. Foden's arrived on the opening day of the season, during a flowing move in City's 2-1 victory over Bournemouth at the Etihad.
Foden's contribution came in the opening moments of that match. The England international received the ball, played a first-time backheel past his marker, and completed a one-two with Rico Lewis that created a goalscoring opportunity. It was the kind of instant decision-making that has become a signature of Foden's game, the sort of touch that does not show up in the basic statistics but changes the shape of an attack. The move set the tone for a City performance that ended with all three points.
The two City nominations mean the club has a strong chance of taking the August award, but they face competition from three other players. Newcastle's Joe Willock, Hull City's Ollie McBurnie, and Bournemouth's Alex Scott have also been nominated for their own moments of individual brilliance during the first month of the season.
Willock has been a regular source of attacking energy for Newcastle since his move from Arsenal, and his nomination suggests a piece of skill that caught the eye during one of the Magpies' August fixtures. McBurnie, who joined Hull to lead their push for promotion, has built a reputation for physical, direct play, and his nominated moment likely reflects that approach. Scott, the Bournemouth midfielder, has settled quickly into Premier League life after his move from Bristol City, and his inclusion in the shortlist points to a moment of technical quality in one of the Cherries' early matches.
The Adobe Express Moment of the Match award is voted on by the public, and voting is now open for this month's prize. The winner will be announced at 1pm on Thursday 10 September. The award has become a regular feature of the Premier League's monthly honours, sitting alongside the Goal of the Month and Save of the Month prizes, and it tends to reward exactly the kind of improvisation that O'Reilly and Foden produced.
For O'Reilly, the nomination carries extra weight. He is an Academy graduate, still establishing himself in the City first-team picture, and a moment like this against a top-flight opponent helps build his case for more minutes. The backheel at Selhurst Park was not just a piece of flair; it was a practical solution to a defender crowding him, executed under pressure in a competitive fixture. City won that game 4-1, a result that keeps them in the early title conversation, and O'Reilly's contribution formed part of a strong team display.
Foden, by contrast, is a player for whom such moments have become routine. His backheel against Bournemouth was the kind of touch that has defined his rise through City's ranks, the same instinct that has made him one of the league's most watchable attackers. That he produced it in the opening moments of the season, with the pressure of a new campaign beginning, speaks to his consistency.
The shortlist reflects the range of what the award tries to capture. One nominee produced a moment of physical determination, another a moment of technical invention. O'Reilly's backheel and Foden's one-two both fall into the latter category, and they now go head to head in the public vote. City fans will have a decision to make, and the club has encouraged supporters to back both players through the official voting platform.
The announcement on 10 September will settle it. Until then, the two moments stand on their own, available for anyone to watch again and judge. O'Reilly's came in a convincing away win. Foden's came in a hard-fought home victory. Both were the kind of touches that make the award worth having, and both will be replayed plenty of times before the votes close.
According to Yahoo Sports.