JACK GREALISH returns to Villa Park today having gone past a significant anniversary this week.
Yet it is not one that anyone at Manchester City would have been celebrating.
December 16, 2023. The last time the £100million ace scored a goal in a competitive game for Man City.
If he was creating plenty for his team-mates then his own drought could be overlooked.
But there has been only one assist in the Premier League this season for the England man.
His manager Pep Guardiola and the 29-year-old himself have always been keen to point out his game is about more than numbers.
That has been the case throughout his 3½ years at the Etihad.
However, this was meant to be the season when he got his career back on track following his Euro 2024 snub.
That was what he promised on his club’s pre-season tour of the USA after returning to work early.
His aim was to prove former Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate was wrong not to put him on the plane to Germany.
BEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERS
Five months on, we are still waiting.
And as he goes back to his old stamping ground for today’s lunchtime kick-off, his career is once again at a crossroads.
Grealish has struggled with injuries and form again during the current campaign — starting only five league games so far.
Yet he has appeared as a sub in seven more — which shows that he has been available for most of them.
It is just that Guardiola has generally chosen NOT to start with the former Aston Villa skipper. That is despite the unprecedented injury crisis he has been trying to handle so far this season.
Asked how he assesses Grealish’s season so far, Guardiola said: “It started well but he’s had two or three setbacks for the injuries.
“He’s a player that needs time and minutes to get his form, his physicality. But he’s strong.”
As for the year-long goal drought, he added: “Last season it was not a good season for him, then he’s had these setbacks.
“Of course, the people up front have to produce as much as possible. But it’s not just Jack, it’s a few of them. We are struggling to create a little bit up front.
“But always I am optimistic about my players that they are going to turn it round and perform well.”
He has not always stuck up for his record signing though.
The City boss was furious when his player was called up by England for the November international break — and his star indicated he wanted to go.
He had not played for his club in over 2½ weeks due to injury and his manager clearly felt he should be staying behind to work on his fitness.
That is what happened eventually — but not before Grealish had reported to St George’s Park to be assessed by the Three Lions medics.
When domestic football returned the following week, Guardiola insisted there was no issue between the pair of them and he was available for selection again.
He has started only three games since — although in one of them he played centrally in the 3-0 home win over Nottingham Forest.
That was City’s only triumph is their jaw-dropping 11-game slump and Guardiola said afterwards Grealish could be the man in the middle more often.
Yet three days later he was back on the bench for the draw at Crystal Palace — which put another dent in their hopes of a fifth straight title.
He was there again in Sunday’s Manchester derby — replacing Jeremy Doku 13 minutes from time with his team a goal up.
But he was accused by former Premier League superstar Thierry Henry of helping to hand the initiative back to the Red Devils.
Speaking after the 2-1 United win, Henry said: “I was at home and I screamed. I did scream because that’s not the Jack Grealish I saw at Villa. That’s not the Jack Grealish I saw arriving at Man City.”
Yet if he cannot turn things around quickly, Grealish could leave City at some point next year.
The club are planning to hit the January sales to fill the gaps in their midfield and try to turn their season around.
And there will be more new faces in the summer so the clock is ticking for the £100m man.
Today would be a perfect time to remind everyone what he can do.
Sasha Attwood and Jack Grealish have become parents for the first time, but their relationship started well over a decade ago...
The pair met as teens in Solihull, West Midlands at secondary school, with Sasha previously saying they have been together since she was 15.
Jack was already on his way to becoming a professional footballer when he met Sasha.
Despite the long-term nature of their relationship, she remained on the sidelines when his career took off.
However, intense interest in Jack’s private life came to a head in 2021 when England reached the final of Euro 2020, delayed a year because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Because of their romance, Sasha was cruelly targeted by trolls on TikTok and Instagram, receiving 200 death threats a day from “young girls”.
The pair were spotted on holiday together following the tournament and slowly began showing more of their relationship on social media when the vile trolling died down.
In 2022, they celebrated their 10-year anniversary and purchased a seven-bed mansion set in 24 acres worth £5.6 million.
They moved in to the home in late 2023, but Sasha and members of Jack’s family were subject to a terrifying robbery while cheering on the Manchester City star during a televised match just after Christmas.
Their latest milestone is Sasha’s pregnancy, which they announced on social media on July 7, and the birth of daughter Mila Rose on September 27.
