With Manchester City currently navigating their way through a packed fixture schedule, the return of Jack Grealish could not have come at a better time.
City are now three games through a run of seven games in the space of 22 days, a itinerary unusual for this stage of the season produced by the condensed Champions League schedule (the winter World Cup can take credit for that).
The run started well enough; Pep Guardiola's side pulled off a sensational 4-2 comeback win against Crystal Palace at the Etihad Stadium before steamrolling Nottingham Forest 6-0. However, 90 minutes against Aston Villa on Saturday earned them just a point, a result that saw City miss the chance to move top of the table.