Guardiola: Grealish doesn´t have to do anything different

Pep Guardiola insists Jack Grealish does not need to do anything differently in order to prove his value to Manchester City.

The midfielder signed from Aston Villa for a British record transfer fee of £100million, ensuring expectations were high on his arrival.

Although City have stormed to the Premier League summit ahead of Tuesday’s visit of Leeds United, there is a sense that Grealish – with 11 starts and one goal in the top flight to his name this season – is yet to find his footing.

But Guardiola has no such concerns over the England star.

“Grealish doesn’t have to do anything different. The way he’s playing is good,” said the City boss. 

“It will come, absolutely no problem. He’ll continue to practice because you’ve got so many fantastic players. He thinks we have to score correct goals all the time. He doesn’t have to.

“What he has to do is play feel like he knows what he has to do. He has to do exactly what he is doing. No more than that. The rest is coming in time.

“He has chances to score goals every game and one day he is going to do it. He could have had a hat-trick against Watford and he will have that chance again.”

Grealish will hope to get the chance to make his mark against Leeds in midweek, with Guardiola anticipating a stern test against Marcelo Bielsa’s team as City go in search of a seventh consecutive league win.

“Before, we played against them, we knew it, we felt it. It is one of the toughest opponents,” he said, with his side winless in four against Leeds.

“They play every week in a special unique way and we play against the special and unique way just two times a year. It is completely different to other opponents.

“They are going to play in a way we are not used to in these kinds of games. At the same time, it is at the Etihad, we know a lot of people will be there and we want to do a good game.

“[Patrick] Bamford was injured for a long time now. [Kalvin] Phillips, too. A few important players. But if there is one person who doesn’t complain about what happens, it is Marcelo. He loves to work when the situation is tough.”