After feeling ill for most of Saturday morning and spending half-time sitting by the toilet, Jack Grealish produced another sensational performance against Liverpool.
Although the 4-1 victory was largely a game of two halves, the England forward shone throughout. Providing an assist for City’s equaliser and capping the game off with a goal of his own captured the quality of his performance.
Since the league’s resumption after the World Cup in December, Grealish’s season has transformed, so much to the point that he is now one of City’s most important players.
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This form however would be unrecognisable in the first half of the season, even more so in comparison to last year’s title-winning campaign. So how has Grealish turned his fortunes around so impressively?
Before joining his England teammates on the plane to Qatar last November, City’s number 10 had registered just one goal in all competitions, with no assists.
Of course, statistics never tell the full story. Grealish had produced some solid performances, most notably against Wolves and a week later in the 6-3 defeat of United in the derby.
The conversation surrounding the British-record signing, however, was still largely negative. Ultimately, the 27-year-old still had little to show for his eye-watering price tag of over £100 million.
Despite a collection of important performances last season, Grealish faced heavy criticism for his lack of goal contributions during the title-winning campaign. The England international himself described the difficulty he has faced since joining Manchester City.
Speaking to Sky Sports in January after providing a crucial assist in a victory against Chelsea, Grealish said: “I came into City, having been at Villa my whole life, and I’ve never had to change. I didn’t realise how hard it is to adapt to a different team and manager.”
Grealish’s assist at Stamford Bridge is one of eight he has registered in all competitions since the World Cup, along with three goals that have all come in the Premier League.
One contributing factor to the forward’s improvement is the consistent game time that has been given to him by Pep Guardiola. Before the World Cup break, Grealish started only six league games, and did not feature at all in six other games.
However, since the end of December, he has started 12 of 14 Premier League games, including the last 10 in a row. The trust invested in Grealish from his manager has inevitably boosted his confidence.
Grealish is now the preferred option on the left wing for City, with the ability to both cut inside or hug the touchline and provide wide service into the box. Both attributes were on full display against Liverpool.
The man-of-the-match performance was perfectly summarised by the 27-year-old’s desire to get back and defend in key moments, most notably as he prevented Salah from creating a key chance from a Liverpool counter attack with Liverpool a goal up. This determination has been present in Grealish’s game since the start of 2023, also seen in January’s 4-2 comeback win versus Tottenham.
This inspiring form has come at the perfect time for City. Grealish is now an integral part of Guardiola’s set up, and his agile movement and passing will be vital in upcoming league fixtures, as well as this month’s clash with Bayern Munich in the Champions League.
Crucially, Grealish has also helped fill the void created by Phil Foden, who has missed large parts of the second half of the season through injury. The academy graduate is currently out again following surgery on his appendix, and will miss the next two to three weeks.
With consistent form now firmly within Grealish’s locker, it can be expected that he can continue to deliver in key moments over the next two months. Even more so, City fans will be hoping these performances will carry on into next season, regardless of how this campaign finishes.
