Jack Grealish was out to prove there is no such thing as a friendly after sparking a furious row during Manchester City ’s pre-season win on their tour of the United States.
The 26-year-old was involved in an altercation with Mexico goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa after a disagreement between the pair during a pre-season exhibition match against Club America, which City won 2-1.
After earning his tag as one of the most-fouled players in the Premier League, Grealish is used to having lumps kicked out of him on a weekly basis. And it was business as usual as he fell victim to a crunching challenge from America’s Bruno Valdez, which earned him a yellow card.
His frustrations were already threatening to boil over in the sweltering temperatures inside Houston Dynamo’s NRG Stadium when he bundled into Ochoa after a collision between the two players — and Grealish let him know in no uncertain terms what he thought after instigating a pushing match between the two.
In the footage, Ochoa could be seen offering his hand to Grealish to help him off the floor. But the attacker was in no mood to make up, reacting angrily to the challenge and complaining to the referee that he should have received a free-kick.
The Mexican then gave him a friendly shove as he helped himself to his feet and an incensed Grealish squared up to the Mexican stopper, shoving Ochoa away from him.
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Naturally, that move only served to antagonise Ochoa as he returned the favour, sparking a scene between the pair as Ochoa returned the favour. Two America players sprinted over to confront Grealish as he continued to show his anger towards the goalkeeper, before they were separated by their team-mates.
Grealish scuppered his only real chance to add his name to the scoresheet, but the midfielder’s all-round display would have given some encouragement to those concerned with his displays last season.
The England international; will be hoping for a sizeable improvement at City this season after scoring just three Premier League goals in his debut campaign at the Etihad Stadium after his British transfer record switch from Aston Villa.
Having been the leading figure at Villa Park, Grealish struggled to adjust to being just another piece of Pep Guardiola’s convoluted City project. But with his main competition for a first-team spot, Raheem Sterling, leaving for Chelsea, Grealish has a chance to win over his Catalan coach.
And the £100million attacker looked in fine form as he laid on an assist for Kevin de Bruyne, who scored twice as the Premier League champions sealed a 2-1 win.
The Belgian opened the scoring after half an hour before Kevin Jean’s equaliser just before the interval. But just two minutes later, De Bruyne doubled his tally to hand Guardiola a morale-boosting victory.
Erling Haaland, a £51m summer arrival from Borussia Dortmund, was left out. But Julian Alvarez, Stefan Ortega and Kalvin Phillips — operating as a makeshift centre-back — all made their first appearances in a City shirt.
Guardiola declared himself delighted with the display after the game and, in particular, hailed the widespread presence of City supporters inside the stadium.
”It's an honour," he said. "We are so proud. When we arrived here five, six years ago and lost to United there were only a few blue shirts and now there are a lot. We were happy to see them and the game was really good."
