Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has admitted that it may have been a mistake to utilise Jack Grealish in the left-winger position for the majority of his Etihad career.
The England international was granted a rare opportunity to impress in the centre of the Premier League champions’ midfield on Wednesday night as City looked to end a seven-game winless streak across competitions.
Operating alongside Kevin De Bruyne and Ilkay Gundogan for most of the game, Grealish was composed, relentless in moving the ball forward, and was excellent in timing when to accelerate play and slow things down.
His performance, in a game that would ultimately bring an end to a torrid run of form for Manchester City via a 3-0 scoreline, has raised many questions over whether Grealish’s long-term future at the club lies in the centre of the park as opposed to the left-side of attack.
Speaking to the media ahead of City’s meeting with Crystal Palace on Saturday afternoon, Pep Guardiola admitted that he may have made a mistake in utilising Jack Grealish on the left of a front-three, in light of an impressive central performance in midweek.
“He has the attributes to play there (centrally),” said Guardiola. “Maybe it was my mistake to play him as a winger. But in Aston Villa with Dean (Smith) he started from the left position, the winger position, and after going more inside. But he can adapt perfectly in both.”
Continuing on whether the faultless performance in the middle of Manchester City’s operation has given Grealish a boost of confidence, Guardiola said, “It just was just one game. We have to see in the future for many, many things. The confidence comes from himself.”
“I know he likes to play in his position, we have a lot of needs right now, and of course with and without the ball, the impact of the game was really, really good.”
Jack Grealish and Manchester City will look to close the gap on league leaders Liverpool to just six points on Saturday, after Arne Slot’s side had their game away to Everton at Goodison Park postponed due to adverse weather conditions.
It is a mammoth week for the club when performances will need to be at their highest as they travel to Turin to take on Juventus on Wednesday night, before hosting Manchester United at the Etihad Stadium in Premier League action the following Sunday.
