Sources: Jack Grealish ‘devastated’ by Man City axe
Jack Grealish was “devastated” to be omitted by Man City for the marquee showdown against Liverpool last Sunday, sources have told Football Insider.
The club-record signing was left out in favour of the likes of Ilkay Gundogan, Bernardo Silva and Phil Foden as Pep Guardiola instead experimented with a new formation in the tumultuous 1-0 defeat at Anfield.
Grealish, 27, did not even come off the bench as Guardiola’s side chased a late equaliser in a match that ended their unbeaten Premier League record this season.
He is said by friends to have been “gutted” and “devastated” by not getting a single minute in City’s biggest match of the season so far.
Guardiola did make one substitution late on, but instead replaced Gundogan with young striker Julián Álvarez rather than the player signed for £100million in the summer of 2021 precisely to win matches such as this one.
It further raises the question over whether the City manager fully trusts Grealish, especially in big matches.
Intriguingly, he has started only three of the club’s 10 Premier League matches this season, while lining up in the starting XI for all four Champions League games.
His goal in the 3-0 win over Wolves is his only goal or assist from 664 minutes in this campaign, which pales in comparison with the eyecatching scoring and creating statistics of the likes of Erling Haaland, Foden and Kevin de Bruyne.
At former club Aston Villa the team was set up to maximise Grealish’s dribbling ability on the left flank and relied upon him for creativity and cutting edge.
At City, Grealish is one of many outstanding players and he is said to have complained behind the scenes about not having enough of the ball.
he England international has played 49 matches in total for the Premier League champions, scoring seven goals and providing four assists.
In other news, ‘new Grealish blunder may tarnish Man City legacy’