Martin Keown has highlighted how Jack Grealish has evolved his game at Manchester City.
The winger is currently in his third season at the Manchester club after joining from Aston Villa back in 2021 in a transfer deal worth £100m.
Even though the Englishman is currently out on the sidelines with an injury, he has been the topic of conversation in the media, with one pundit sharing his thoughts on what changes have occurred in Grealish’s game during his time in Pep Guardiola’s side.
Keown says Grealish has changed under Guardiola
Speaking on talkSPORT, Keown had this to say about Grealish and his evolution at City.
He said: “I think there’s much more discipline to his game, there’s more structure. I think when he was playing for Villa it was off the cuff, you go and make the difference wherever you can. That doesn’t happen with Pep, I think he’s bought into that.
“I’ve seen him running back on many occasions, brilliant defensive tackles. He’s got great energy, he’s got real pace, for me, he’s just not quite fit enough at the minute.
“He’s had distractions away from the game, he’s had inconsistencies but when they get to this stage of the season they change gear and I think Jack was a part of that but he’s got injured just at the wrong time.”
During his time at City so far, the 28-year-old has scored 14 goals and delivered 17 assists in 115 appearances across all competitions, lifting two Premier League trophies and a Champions League.
Comparing Grealish’s final Premier League campaign at Villa to his debut season at City, the attacker found himself with a higher percentage of accurate passes (78.9% vs 85.8%) and a higher shot-on-target percentage (34% vs 35.6%), which shows how much more effective he became on the ball when he joined Guardiola’s side.
With that in mind added on to Keown’s comments about what Grealish offers City when out of possession, it’s clear what he has improved on since his Villa days and why he was such a prominent figure in the team last season, making 50 appearances in all competitions.
