MY ACCOUNT
Jack Grealish will hope this is the season his Manchester City career truly catches fire.
While a maiden Premier League title means his first campaign could hardly be considered a failure, the £100million man has admitted there is more to come.
Injuries have restricted the attack-minded star, 26, to just a single start so far this term but he is set to feature in City’s Champions League Group G opener at Sevilla tonight.
Ahead of that clash, we turn the spotlight on Britain’s most expensive player.
Mixed first season
Having ended a 20-year association with boyhood club Aston Villa, adjusting to the added expectation that comes with playing for the Premier League champions was always going to be tough.
At Villa, Grealish was the superstar who would be at the heart of every attack. At City, he has had to get used to being one of many cogs in Pep Guardiola’s attacking wheel.
And while the talented trickster had his moments last term — managing six goals and four assists in all competitions — he struggled to assert himself as a regular starter amongst City’s wealth of options.
The England international was in the starting XI for just 22 of City’s 38 league games, often settling for a place on the bench in their most important clashes.
Replicate England form
The key to finding top form for his club could be by replicating the way he plays when turning out for England — and previously with Villa.
Speaking on international duty last season, he said: “I feel at times I’ve played a bit safe at City but when I come here I feel like even in training I train well. Score goals, get assists.
“When I come on, it’s hard to explain. I do feel I play with a lot more freedom here and hopefully I can transfer that into my club football and keep improving.”
The Brummie is at his best when running at his opponents and releasing the ball at the right moments — a unique skill that convinced the Citizens to spend big money on him last summer.
Yet the stats show he did not do that enough in 2021-22, attempting just 3.19 take-ons and creating only 2.49 chances per 90 minutes compared to 4.16 and 3.34 in the same metrics for Villa the season before.
With a year of Guardiola’s coaching under his belt, a more settled Grealish will hope to now exhibit that freedom more and more for City in the coming months.
New partner
City, of course, look an even more formidable beast this term following the addition of Erling Haaland.
The £54m Norwegian sensation, 22, has already netted 10 goals in his first six games since joining the champions and is a more of a traditional No9 — something they lacked last term.
His presence could be a big boost to Grealish in particular, with the striker offering him a focal point to link with — much like he does with Harry Kane for England, or during his time at Villa with Ollie Watkins.
After Grealish assisted Haaland’s first City goal against Bayern Munich in pre-season, the former Borussia Dortmund ace said of his new attacking partner: “He’s good.
“He has to get better and I have to get better, but this is a good link-up and I like the vibe around him, so it’s going to be fun.”
An encouraging display on the opening day against West Ham showed signs of that relationship blossoming and the duo will hope to pick up where they left off when Grealish is back in action.
Time to shine
The lure of Champions League nights was one of the key factors in Grealish’s emotional decision to part ways with Villa last summer.
But it was a campaign of mixed fortunes in the competition for the Solihull native.
He scored his first Champions League goal with a fine effort in a 6-3 group win against RB Leipzig, before coming in for criticism for his defensive role in City’s dramatic semi-final elimination by Real Madrid.
A new European campaign, kicking off with tonight’s trip to Sevilla, gives a fresh opportunity to impress and his club’s desire to finally become kings of Europe is burning brighter than ever.
Interestingly, Guardiola has already insisted Grealish has a “very important” role to play in City’s packed schedule in the coming weeks, adding that he could have easily featured at his old ground last weekend when Villa held the Spaniard’s side to a 1-1 draw.
If selected at the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium, a standout performance on football’s biggest stage could be the perfect way to show the world he means business this season.
