Manchester City backed up a comeback victory over AFC Bournemouth in the FA Cup with a straightforward 2-0 win over relegation-doomed Leicester City in the Premier League on Wednesday evening.
Pep Guardiola’s men weren’t hindered one bit by the absence of Erling Haaland through injury with the Foxes only managing two shots all night to try and snatch an unlikely result at the Etihad.
Instead, January signing Omar Marmoush stood out once more for the Citizens as their main marksman, but it was the exploits of Jack Grealish in the number ten role behind the Egyptian that stole many of the plaudits come the full-time whistle.
Jack Grealish's performance in numbers
Even as Marmoush collected another strike to add to his ever-growing City back-catalogue, Grealish would dominate most of the conversation post-match for his stylish showing as a central attacking midfielder.
After all, the ex-Aston Villa man got his team up and running with the opening strike just minutes into the one-sided clash, with the Birmingham-born ace stroking the ball into the back of Mads Hermansen’s net to amazingly collect his first Premier League goal for a long 16 months.
The 29-year-old will hope this standout performance pushes him on to more positive showings in the near future, with the up-and-down number ten finishing off the contest with two key passes next to his name from 50 accurate passes overall.
It could be argued that – in the short-term – Grealish could take over the reins from Kevin De Bruyne well, therefore, with there being a growing likelihood that the Belgian great will depart the Citizens very soon.
But, there is another unlikely candidate away from the 29-year-old who could be Guardiola’s next creative force similar to De Bruyne.
Guardiola's next creative superstar
Whilst there will be smiles aplenty that Grealish opened the scoring in the 2-0 victory, the ex-Villa midfielder is also known to be inconsistent and fleeting with his moments of magic, alongside the fact the 5 foot 11 presence is also nearing 30 years of age.
Therefore, Guardiola could be seeking out fresher blood when searching for his side’s next version of the electric number 17, with Savinho ticking all the boxes on Wednesday night when constantly finding openings.
Minutes played
85
Goals scored
0
Assists
1
Touches
61
Accurate passes
38/41 (93%)
Key passes
5
Shots on goal
2
Successful dribbles
2/4
Total duels won
6/11
Stats by Sofascore
Far from the finished article when it comes to slotting home chances – with two shots on goal not finding the back of the net – the Brazilian does excel when carving out opportunities for his thankful teammates, leading to one burst forward early on being gobbled by an expectant Grealish.
Finishing his exciting 85-minute spell on the pitch with five key passes next to his name, alongside two successful dribbles being amassed, the 20-year-old would have been pleased with his efforts, knowing there’s plenty more in his tank to come as he matures in Manchester.
After all, the gung-ho number 26 was an assist king with former employer Girona when tallying up 11 goals and ten assists from 41 appearances, with his assist total at City already up to a sizeable 12 from two fewer games. That makes him the most creative player in the squad this season, four clear of Matheus Nunes and five clear of that man De Bruyne.
Therefore, the Brazilian could well be the man Pep looks to in terms of creating chances when the Belgian departs, with the long-standing Citizens servant up to a jaw-dropping 174 assists himself.
Savinho is some way off that total, obviously, but the baton is likely to be handed over soon when the 33-year-old icon exits the building, with the tricky winger ready to become the club’s next creative superstar.
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