Jack Grealish and Pep Guardiola
Jack Grealish and Pep Guardiola
Pep Guardiola suggested he could continue with Jack Grealish in the middle after an encouraging display against Nottingham Forest.
Grealish went into midfield when he came off the bench at Anfield on Sunday and started there at the Etihad on Wednesday, just a few days after former City keeper Shay Given had slammed Guardiola for 'turning Grealish into a mannequin' by 'playing him out of position' on the wing. While he wasn't directly involved in any of the goals or assists on the night, it was a promising performance from the former Villa man as he looks to rediscover the form that made him undroppable two years ago as City won the Treble.
City's midfield has struggled this season with Rodri out for the whole campaign and Mateo Kovacic and Kevin De Bruyne also missing significant chunks of the campaign. De Bruyne stole the show against Forest on his first start in over two months, but Guardiola was happy for Grealish.
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"Really good," said Guardiola. "He played in the middle, was involved in many things and if I decide to use him in that position in the next games hopefully he can be involved in the final third being decisive with goals and assists.
"Our football was always built in the midfield, the quality that makes our tempo and the control of the game and Jack gives us that pace - when to accelerate, how to make more control - and he did it brilliantly. He played really good, I'm so happy for him.
"I know his quality, he even has the attributes to play as a holding midfielder. He can keep the ball and break the lines. He played really good.."