The Magpies defeated the Citizens 1-0 at St. James’ Park to win the Carabao Cup, eliminating the Citizens at the first round’s hurdle.
What was Eddie Howe’s opinion on Jack Grealish? Let’s look at this…
What’s the premise?
The 45-year-old described Manchester City’s No. 10 as a “outstanding” footballer in general but felt that he put up a strong defensive performance on Tyneside.
Howe remarked, after the match, “Jack Grealish, who is a fantastic player, was a very difficult opponent. He was very, very good defensively, in my opinion.
After spending some time on the sidelines with a thigh injury, it was the England international’s first start since the 2-1 victory over Sheffield United at Bramall Lane.
Grealish was unfortunate to be on the losing team, but he certainly didn’t display any symptoms of rust against Howe’s players.
For Manchester City, Jack Grealish excelled.
Grealish was among Manchester City’s better players on a night that was disappointing for the Citizens as a whole, as WhoScored demonstrates.
The only player on the pitch to play all 90 minutes and complete 100% of his passes with 45 successful attempts was the 28-year-old.
Grealish won three free kicks for the Citizens and recorded three critical passes, which is more than any other player on the pitch.
As Howe noted, the £100 million man was also extremely alert when it came to his defensive play, always tracking back but still possessing the vigour to provide a threat moving forward.
Grealish put on a strong display for Guardiola, and hopefully he can avoid suffering another thigh injury.
