Enzo Maresca has called for Manchester City to make their own noise on the pitch to drown out the cacophony surrounding them but maybe a quiet night at the Etihad Stadium was what they needed all along. AEK Athens were easily dispatched in a businesslike manner, as Phil Foden announced his return to form with a hat-trick to get City’s Champions League campaign back on track after being pummelled by Paris Saint-Germain.

The match was uneven throughout as Foden shone on the wing and later down the middle, with goals from Elliot Anderson and Rayan Cherki helping to ease City to victory in front of half-full stands. Stavros Pilios’s consolation was more a reward for the boisterous fans in yellow and black than for the overall efforts of the visitors.

Enzo Maresca took the calculated risk of eight changes from the win over Ipswich, although that did mean a return to the starting lineup for Enzo Fernández and Elliot Anderson while Erling Haaland was left on the bench. His replacement, with senior options lacking, was the 17-year-old academy graduate, Floyd Samba, whose only other senior football came in a Carabao Cup win against Norwich, when he scored twice on debut.

The game had not captured the imagination with the stands having huge gaps of blue, which is understandable amid the constant churn of fixtures for City and the cost of following the club. AEK was seen by many fans as a game that could be missed, in expectation of a simple victory over a team lacking global superstars. The visiting supporters were far more animated, filling a corner of the ground over three tiers where they created a party from two hours before kick-off.

Inspiration was required from those on the pitch with the home faithful subdued, which was provided by Fernández clipping a free-kick on to the bar and Anderson following up to whack the rebound into an empty net in the 12th minute. The celebrations lacked enthusiasm, acknowledged with a nod of approval.

AEK had no desire to capitulate and created some promising moves without ever threatening the City box, lacking quality when it mattered most. The Greek side had half of the possession in the opening quarter but the hosts, although not at their best, turned on the style when required, going from static to full steam in seconds to create chances.

The Champions League debutant Allan was City’s most entertaining offering, providing direct running and skill on the left wing. The Brazilian was a menace and almost marked his second home appearance with a goal but his vicious shot clipped the bar and flew into the stands. With seven matches in 21 days for City, games like this gave an opportunity for fringe players to impress and Allan was eager to make his mark.

City were able to take control, passing the ball around with ease and holding AEK at arm’s length, while Foden and Rayan Cherki tried to work their fleet-footed magic in tight spaces. Eventually the calmness in the final third was rewarded when Foden finished after neat work on the right from Rico Lewis, as the two academy products combined. The full-back has struggled for minutes in recent times and almost left the club 16 months ago but showed he can provide something as an attacking threat from defence.

With City comfortable, complacency kicked in and Abdukodir Khusanov reflected the crowd by drifting off, giving Zini the chance to turn him and slip a pass into Stavros Pilios who thrashed the ball across Gianluigi Donnarumma. The AEK fans erupted, while their counterparts pondered how City had been dragged back into a fight, having previously been impenetrable.

Natural order was restored by Cherki, a neat trick inside the box and a precise shot into the corner did the rest. It was an occasion for the maverick Frenchman to be a leader, making the difference in critical moments and he offered up evidence of his capabilities with the finish, creating breathing space in the process.

If the plan was to test life without Haaland, the loss of Antoine Semenyo to injury for eight weeks created a problem for Maresca. Samba’s deployment ranked somewhere between plan C and D but the teenager was an adept decoy, allowing the more experienced around him to show off their repertoire. Samba acquitted himself well but whether he is a suitable replacement for the Norwegian will remain unknown until City face more competitive opposition.

City were starting to showboat as AEK realised resistance was futile. Cherki knocked it long for Lewis to control into the path of Foden, who provided a sublime first-time finish into the top corner from the edge of the box. The exceptional goals were racking up on what felt like an otherwise mundane night.

On a positive night for City’s academy, Ryan McAidoo came off the bench to send in a perfect cross for Foden to complete his treble with a striker’s instinct, earning the biggest cheer of the night. Foden scored his first goal since mid-December at the weekend but the confidence is clearly flooding back to a player who has spent too long watching on from the sidelines, especially considering the talent he possesses.