Guardiola urges Grealish to rediscover form to regain starting role

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has urged Jack Grealish to prove he deserves a place in the team’s starting role by replicating the quality he displayed during the club’s historic Treble-winning campaign in 2023.

The 29-year-old England international has featured in 14 of Man City’s 20 Premier League matches this season, but has started only six. In Sunday’s 4-1 victory over West Ham United at the Etihad, Grealish played just six minutes, replacing Erling Haaland in the 84th minute.

Brazilian winger Savinho, who joined City for £30.8m from Girona last summer, was preferred over the former Aston Villa captain and delivered a stellar performance, providing both assists for Haaland’s brace.

Guardiola acknowledged Grealish’s recent struggles and emphasised the importance of competition within the squad.

“Savinho is in better shape than Jack Grealish, and that’s why I played him,” Guardiola said. “Do I want the Grealish that won the Treble? Yes, I do. But it’s up to Grealish to fight for his place, to show me every day in training and every match he deserves to start.”

Since his £100 million transfer from Aston Villa in 2021, Grealish has helped City win three Premier League titles, the FA Cup, and the Champions League. However, the team endured a challenging spell this season, losing nine of 13 matches before Christmas, including six Premier League defeats.

Grealish missed two games over the festive period due to injury but returned for the morale-boosting win against West Ham.

“Two weeks ago, he was injured and needs rhythm, but players need to train and prove themselves,” Guardiola added. “I know Jack’s quality — I fought hard to bring him here. Now, I want to see that quality in every training session and every game.”