Eddie Howe has heaped praise on Jack Grealish for his performance – despite Manchester City suffering defeat at the hands of Newcastle on Wednesday.
The Citizens crashed out of the Carabao Cup at the first hurdle as a goal from Alexander Isak handed the Magpies a 1-0 win at St James’ Park.
So, what did Eddie Howe say about Jack Grealish? Let’s take a look…
What’s the story?
Well, the 45-year-old specifically felt that Manchester City’s No.10 delivered a strong defensive display on Tyneside, while describing him as an “outstanding” footballer in general.
Speaking live on Sky Sports after the game, Howe said: “A very difficult opponent in Jack Grealish, who is an outstanding player. I thought defensively he was very, very good.”
It was the England international’s first start since the 2-1 win over Sheffield United at Bramall Lane, following a period on the sidelines with a thigh injury.
However, Grealish certainly showed no signs of rustiness against Howe’s men, and in truth, he was unfortunate to be on the losing side.
Jack Grealish shone for Manchester City
As WhoScored shows, Grealish was one of Manchester City’s better performers on what was a disappointing night for the Citizens overall.
The 28-year-old completed 100% of his passes with 45 successful efforts, the only player on the pitch who played the entire 90 minutes to achieve that feat.
Grealish also registered three key passes – no player on the pitch recorded more – while winning three freekicks for the Citizens.
As Howe stated, the £100m man was also very switched on when it came to his defensive work, constantly tracking back but also having the energy to offer a threat going forward as well.
Hopefully, Grealish can avoid a recurrence of his thigh injury, and continue to deliver more performances like this for Guardiola.
