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Jack Grealish | Getty Images
Everton were beaten 2-0 away at Manchester City in their latest Premier League outing
Everton find themselves positioned in 12th place in the Premier League table after their first eight fixtures. They have 11 points on the board following their 2-0 defeat away at Manchester City last time out. Erling Haaland scored twice for their opponents.
David Moyes’ side are back in action this weekend with a home clash against Tottenham Hotspur as they look to bounce back from their defeat to City. Their upcoming opponents lost 2-1 against Aston Villa in their last game. The Toffees will welcome back Jack Grealish for their clash against Spurs which is a boost.
Premier League should overturn loan rule
Loan players in the Premier League haven’t been able to play against their parent clubs since the rule was brought in back in 2004. However, this isn’t the case in European competitions and is allowed by UEFA. In addition, it is possible in the Carabao Cup as well if permission is granted. Therefore, the Premier League’s hierarchy should consider changing it over the coming years.
It was unfair for someone like Grealish, who is out of favour at City and may never even play for them again, to not have been able to play against Pep Guardiola’s side last Saturday. He was sent away from the Etihad Stadium due to a lack of game time and has slipped down the pecking order there. Despite his contract still running until 2027, it would be a surprise if he forced his way back into their starting XI.
Speaking ahead of their clash against Everton last Friday, Guardiola said: “The impact has been massive since day one. He's started playing minutes and minutes and this is what he wanted. The pre-season we had with him – and he's a lovely guy – but for different reasons he didn't play much minutes. He's back to real business, he's playing every game."
Regarding the rule that he couldn’t play for the Toffees, the ex-Barceloan man added: “It's the rules. If I become a CEO or president running a big institution in England maybe I would change it. If they would play, it would be nice. If they don't play, it's because of the rules. To be honest, I don't have an opinion."
Everton missed Jack Grealish influence
Teams like City, Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea have that many players that they can afford to miss one or two here and there. However, take someone of Grealish’s quality out of Everton’s side and they will miss his influence. The rule seems to benefit the bigger teams and should be reviewed by the Premier League.
The Toffees swooped to land Grealish on a temporary basis to boost their attacking department. He has since given them something different on the wing and seems to be enjoying his time on Merseyside. The 30-year-old is also becoming a popular figure among the fanbase at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
He rose up through the academy ranks at Aston Villa and was a regular for his boyhood club at various different youth levels before breaking into their first-team as a youngster following a loan spell away at Notts County. City came calling for his services back in 2021 and he has since won everything under Guardiola. The Birmingham-born man has since embarked on a new challenge with Everton and is catching the eye.
The Premier League should tweak the rule to the same as UEFA and the Carabao Cup. If City had the option to give permission for Grealish to play against them for Everton and subsequently sanctioned it, it should have been allowed. Completely banning him to feature seems outdated now, especially when squads are becoming increasingly bigger.
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