We know Jack Grealish has always been a bit of a wind-up merchant, but during one chaotic Midlands derby he bore the brunt of Birmingham City frustrations… and he still had the last laugh.
He’s come a long way since his Aston Villa days, but it’s worth remembering Grealish was once one of the standout performers in the Championship.
Villa are flying high in the Premier League now and are making waves in the Champions League, too, but they had a three-season spell in the second tier after a shock relegation in 2015/16.
They eventually made it back to the top flight in the 2018/19 season, with Grealish at the heart of those efforts to go up via the play-offs.
But, there was one key game on the path to that promotion that made the headlines, with a derby clash against Birmingham City causing trouble in 2019.
Photo by Neville Williams/Aston Villa FC via Getty Images
Photo by Neville Williams/Aston Villa FC via Getty Images
Jack Grealish was punched by a Birmingham City fan during chaotic 2019 derby
The Midlands derby between Aston Villa and Birmingham is always a hotly-contested and exciting affair. It’s the main reason fans want Birmingham back in the Premier League as soon as possible, so we get to witness this rivalry again.
But, the clash between the two teams on March 10, 2019, did have a sour note to it, even if Grealish was happy by the time the final whistle came around.
The game took place at St. Andrews and, for the most part, looked like we would get another tight, cagey battle resulting in a goalless draw.
Tensions were naturally high, and they spilled over within the first ten minutes when Grealish was attacked by a Birmingham fan who entered the field of play and sucker-punched the Villa man from behind. The incident was described as “an absolute disgrace” by Sky Sports pundits at the time.
A fracas ensued, the offender was apprehended, and the game continued. And, wouldn’t you know it, it was Grealish who ended up delivering the killer blow to Birmingham, scoring the winning goal in the 67th minute to break Brum hearts and put smiles on Villa faces.
Statistics Jack Grealish vs Birmingham (2019)
Minutes played 84
Goals 1
Touches 41
Pass success 88%
Key passes 3
Big chances created 2
Duels won 55%
Statistics via SofaScore
Discussing his derby-deciding goal after the game, Grealish said: “It’s the best day of my life. To come here for the first time, captain Aston Villa, and score the winning goal; it’s what dreams are made of, especially as a Villa fan.”
On the incident, he added: “I was just unaware at the time… I was just walking into position and I felt a whack around the side of the face. There’s obviously rivalry in football but there’s no place for that.
“I just get on with my job in the end and I think I did; I scored the winner and we got three points… it was unbelievable, in front of our fans, and after what happened in the first half, I think it was set up for it.”
Funnily enough, on the anniversary of the game in 2025, Grealish took to Instagram to share a story featuring a clip from the match. He added the caption: “Memories [with purple and blue love heart emojis]… never forget.”
Jack Grealish’s Aston Villa career explained
Grealish came through the ranks at Villa Park, developing through the club’s academy to become one of its brightest stars of all time.
He started to make his breakthrough with Villa in the 2014/15 season, now a decade ago. But, it was when the club dropped into the Championship that Grealish really evolved and grew into his role as the team’s talisman.
Grealish racked up six goals and eight assists in that promotion-winning campaign, to take his total across the three seasons to 14 goals and 19 assists. Clearly, he enjoyed himself in the Championship.
He ended up making 213 appearances for Aston Villa, scoring 32 goals and registering 41 assists before making a mega-money move to Manchester City in 2021.
Photo by James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images
Photo by James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images
What’s next for Jack Grealish?
Sadly, things have gone a bit stale for Grealish at City these days. He may have added a multitude of trophies to his honours list, but the winger is a shadow of his former self and he rarely makes an impact on games anymore.
He’s seen his England career suffer as a result, and there’s every chance he could end up leaving City in the summer.
Statistics Jack Grealish (2024/25)
Appearances 26
Minutes 1,319
Goals 2
Assists 5
At 29-years-old, this is the moment Grealish should be thriving the most really, and he will surely not want to waste his golden years on the bench at City.
Hopefully he can turn things around soon, and if he is to move on, we’re sure he would have some great opportunities sent his way, with Premier League clubs surely lining up to give him a chance.
Who knows, perhaps a Villa reunion could be on the cards?