At the end of a week in which he became the Premier League ’s most marketable player, Jack Grealish found that he was the most tightly marked man at Selhurst Park as Manchester City ’s ambition of retaining the Premier League underwent another unexpectedly severe examination.
Erling Haaland's 34th goal of the season, from the penalty spot with 12 minutes to play, was the difference in a tetchy, hard-fought game where City were not at their best but gritted their teeth and found a way to win. And it was also hard not to leave with the feeling that Grealish, without being on sparkling form, is maturing before our eyes.
On Tuesday it was announced that the winger had signed a new contract with Puma worth £10m a year until the summer of 2028 - a boot deal beaten only by Neymar, Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Kylian Mbappe. "He turns heads on and off the pitch with his quick feet and personal style,” cooed Puma exec Johan Adamsson when confirming the deal before describing Grealish as one of their brands “leading faces.”
