Jack Grealish scored his first Premier League goal of the season as Manchester City cruised past Leicester City at the Etihad
You could call it typical of Jack Grealish's season that when he finally scored his first Premier League goal of the campaign, there were thousands of empty seats that witnessed it.
A large chunk of City's support saw a moment that will mean a lot to Grealish from the confines of the Etihad concourse. '1-0 to the empty seats' they chanted from below the stands, determined to stay away until the ninth minute in protest at being priced out of watching the club they love.
There was always a chance they would miss a goal, but that didn't matter. The moment certainly mattered to Grealish. He turned to salute those fans who were in the north east corner after celebrating down there and got a roar in return.
It's been a long grind for Grealish. You could say a long grind of a season, but in truth it's been closer to two and he must be aware he is fighting for his future at the club after another year of injuries, disappointing displays and off-field headlines.
But this was a rare chance to play in a position he cherishes and although the opposition were nothing to write home about, he took the chance to have some fun. His goal inside two minutes was well taken and a burden off his shoulders as well.
There was a week in December when it looked like Grealish's future would be more central. He enjoyed a bright cameo at Anfield in an attacking midfield position, after which Guardiola said he believed the England international could help bring control and vision to the team in a central position.
He started as a No. 10 a few days later, excelling in City's 3-0 win against Nottingham Forest, which in hindsight has been one of their best performances of the season.
"He played in the middle and was involved in many things," was Guardiola's verdict. “Our football is always built from the midfield. The quality and they make our tempo and the way we have to play.
“We control the game, and Jack gave us that pace. When to accelerate and control, he did it really good. I’m so happy for him."
But things have rarely been straightforward for Grealish at the Etihad. The 29-year-old had started once in the league since then, a miserable afternoon at former club Aston Villa just before Christmas, and has played centrally only once, in an equally dispiriting December defeat at Juventus in the Champions League.
So it had been a long wait for Grealish, whose only start in a really meaningful match in 2025 had been in the home defeat to Real Madrid, when he came off injured after half-an-hour.
He looked eager to make up for lost time. After his goal he combined brilliantly with Ilkay Gundogan to create a chance for Omar Marmoush and then again with Jeremy Doku to create another opening for the Egyptian.
Both of those chances saw Grealish play the pass before what would have been the assist. His often talked about numbers wouldn't have improved had Marmoush scored either, but it does show what he can bring from a central role.
He has the touch, skill and control under pressure to create space for others, which is a valuable asset in a game such as this, when a side destined for the Championship packed 10 men behind the ball.
There will be tougher tests ahead this season and there is at least one Wembley date to aim for, and hopefully two for City.
With Marmoush pushed up front to cover for Erling Haaland, there is an opening behind him. Kevin De Bruyne and Phil Foden will have their sights set on it, but Grealish has made a solid case for making the spot his own as well.