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JACK GAUGHAN: Pep Guardiola hardly drops him, his teammates love him and he’s proving decisive in Man City’s biggest games… £100m Jack Grealish price tag doesn’t weigh as much anymore
People were still milling about the streets of Islington at a quarter to 11 as the two Manchester City managers were negotiating their first bends on the way home after a night well spent.
The players’ bus is unmistakable: a big blue thing with the word “City” emblazoned on it.
Some young fans saw him approaching a zebra crossing and decided to briefly stop his advance.
They pounded on the windshield, shouted for Kevin De Bruyne and waved him inside. Just for a few seconds and then City was lost in the night.
De Bruyne will always be the star attraction of this team, a foothold that takes football games away from the best, something Arsenal found at their own expense, but within the City field, Jack Grealish is emerging as an integral member. of a team looking for a third consecutive title. They’re screaming for Grealish right now.
Jack Grealish is proving he’s the man of the hour by coming up big for Manchester City
Grealish (right) barely gives away the ball and that’s why Pep Guardiola (left) loves him
Now some will wonder what has taken him so long and argue that a record £100m signing should have been asserted long ago. That’s forgetting that Grealish didn’t set his price, one that had to be paid for, otherwise Aston Villa simply wouldn’t sell. And it is forgetting that settling in the City of Pep Guardiola, with its peculiarities and unique style, is not easy. A human being who cost £100 million is still a human being.
Grealish has admitted his surprise at how difficult he found the transition from having the power of a queen to that of a rook.
The goal at Arsenal, one that opened the game, wasn’t too pretty, deflecting Takehiro Tomiyasu and sneaking past Aaron Ramsdale, but he said it was a “huge” personal moment.
Those who know Grealish well say that one of his greatest qualities is to go from something very quickly, although the constant criticism for the lack of goalscoring contributions has weighed on him in an unusual way.
They point out the number of key passes or ‘pre-assists’ you have played in the build up to goals. And they’re right: Grealish has been terrific for most of this season.
Guardiola almost never drops him, something that has had a ripple effect on Phil Foden. The two have only started together six times and not in the Premier League since October.
The crux of his importance is that he never gives away the ball and it was Grealish who puffed up his chest when Arsenal pummeled City on Wednesday night.
“In these types of matches you have to keep the ball, two or three touches,” Guardiola said. ‘We couldn’t do it, only Jack. a bit of Riyadh [Mahrez] but especially Jack.
The players are just as effusive about him behind closed doors, acknowledging that he is a perfect out-ball, always available and an expert at getting him out of trouble.
What Grealish, who scored away at Manchester United last month, albeit in a losing effort, has recently altered is momentum in the attacking third.
Grealish came up with a key goal to put City into a 2-1 lead against Arsenal on Wednesday.
His teammates love him and his £100m price tag doesn’t weigh as heavily on his shoulders anymore.
For starters, he is being urged to bet more, which was evident when he helped turn the game at Chelsea bad a few weeks ago.
Guardiola’s ethos is before reaching that area of the field, don’t miss it. Once he’s in the final third, let his natural talent take over.
Guardiola tells his team that he wants ‘balls’ around the penalty area. Grealish has, in the past, gone overboard to not give up possession. That has changed and he wants the extra responsibility.
It should be the difference between a reliable, functional cog, one respected by his teammates, and someone who demonstrates the difference when it really matters.