06 January 2023 , 07:42
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Manchester City record signing Jack Grealish has admitted things have been "so much more difficult" at the Etihad Stadium since his £100m move.
The England international joined Pep Guardiola's side after Euro 2020, and blew hot and cold in his first season with the club. The 27-year-old scored just three league goals in his first season, having scored 14 in two seasons for previous club Aston Villa.
Grealish has scored just once this term, but recorded a third league assist of the campaign to lay on Riyad Mahrez's winner against Chelsea on Thursday. After the game he opened up on the challenges which faced him after the move, and which continue to face him some 18 months into his City career.
"I've said this before a few times, it's so much different to what I was used to," Grealish told Sky Sports. "When I played for Dean Smith, he'd say to me 'go and find where you think the weak link is in defence. If you want to go on the right, in the middle, if you want to hug the touchline'.
"At Villa I used to always have an overlapping full-back and stuff like this. I've been at Villa my whole life and I've never had to change. I've always been used to that and I've didn't realise how hard it is to adapt to another team and another manager.
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It was Grealish's form in Villa colours which earned him his first senior England caps, and the playmaker has remained in the set-up under Gareth Southgate since moving to the Etihad. He scored his first ever World Cup finals goal in Qatar, but remains honest about the challenges which have faced him at club level.
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Jack Grealish came off the bench to set up Man City's winner at Chelsea (Javier Garcia/REX/Shutterstock)"When I came here, I'll be honest with you, it was so much more difficult than I thought," Grealish continued. "In my head I was thinking I'm going to a team that's sitting top of the league and I'm going to get so many goals and assists, and obviously that isn't the case.
"It's so much more difficult. A lot of teams tend to sit in against us, which wasn't the case at Villa. I've been here 18 months and I'm still getting used to it. But I'm enjoying it, honestly, and it's a great group of lads and a pleasure to work under Pep."
Grealish and fellow substitute Riyad Mahrez combined to give City victory at Chelsea after a frustrating first half. The England man sent in a low cross which Blues goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga couldn't reach, and Mahrez was on hand to tap home the only goal of the game.
The result allowed City to close the gap to league leaders Arsenal to five points. Next up for Pep Guardiola's team in the league is a trip to Old Trafford to face a Man Utd side unbeaten since returning from the World Cup break.