Grealish can send perfect message to his doubters
“IT just had to be against Aston Villa, didn’t it? Couldn’t have been any other game!”
For Jack Grealish, there’s more than just a first Premier League winner’s medal on offer in City’s title-decider on Sunday.
His reaction to the fact that his current club will have to beat his former club to secure the title showed he was well aware he would attract a big chunk of the narrative on a final day already full of storylines that need wrapping up.
But Grealish can afford to laugh these days, and will be ready to justify his decision to leave Villa for City in the summer if the Blues can get their hands on the Premier League trophy again.
There may be a minority in the away end at the Etihad on Sunday ready to boo him, although his three-minute cameo in the reverse fixture shows maybe things will be different for his latest reunion with Villa.
In December, Grealish was 14 games into his City career, with all eyes firmly on whether he was justifying his £100million fee or not. He had just two goals and three assists, and had been left out of the team for the previous three league games due to a mixture of inconsistent performances and injury.
He was named on the bench at Villa Park, and was only introduced in the 87th minute, with City defending a 2-1 lead. Grealish was booed onto the pitch by the supporters who adored him only months before, and was jeered with every touch. However, as City held on for the win, he made an effort to take the long route back to the dressing room after Blues players applauded the away end. He received a mixed reaction as he approached the Holte End to applaud the Villa support, although as he turned towards the main stand and back to the tunnel, most boos turned into almost unanimous applause. It felt like a moment where everyone
realised Grealish wasn’t the villain they’d made him out to be. He was just a player who wanted to test himself at a higher level, and – appropriately – still has plenty of love for the Villains.
It was the right decision not to start Grealish in that game – on form, and because his inclusion could have distracted from the task in hand.
The gritty three points earned that night sums up the City side he has joined. They are capable of playing incredible football, but can also dig in and see out wins. They’d snap your hand off for the same result on Sunday.
Grealish is certainly showing clear signs of improvement as the season reaches a dramatic conclusion. He’s in his best form of the campaign, and is starting to offer a more consistent attacking threat.
In fact, his goal at West Ham last weekend was his first for City that has directly earned a point – all of his others have come in big wins or in defeat. The hard facts will be that City have so far paid £100m for six goals and four assists. But Pep Guardiola has long insisted he is a player for the next ‘five or six years,’ and is happy with his overall contribution.
If his trajectory is any indication, Grealish can really kick-on next season as plenty of his team-mates have done after slow starts to life at the Etihad.
So he may have earned the right for a proper reunion with Villa – either from the start, or as a more meaningful substitution.
On form, Guardiola could do worse than start his No.10, who is playing well, knows the opposition, and has more motivation than most to fight for the cause on the last day.
Better still, if he could score the goal that handed City the title, his ‘struggles’ over the last nine months would be quickly forgotten. He’d silence any doubters once and for all.