Jack Grealish says Manchester City are treated unfairly and get held to higher standards than other Premier League teams, with the Treble winners often dubbed to be in a ‘crisis’ after a small run of bad results.
Grealish scored the match-winning strike – his second goal in his last two matches – against a tricky Luton side on Sunday as City put behind them a run of three draws and a defeat in their previous four Premier League games.
And the forward has compared the treatment of City by fans and the media to that of Arsenal, who have been given a much easier time after their own defeat to Aston Villa, with Unai Emery’s side beating both Pep Guardiola and Mikel Arteta in the same week.
‘We lost one game in four and we played four brilliant teams (Chelsea, Liverpool, Tottenham and Villa),’ said Grealish. ‘Look at Arsenal. Did they beat Chelsea? No. Did they beat Villa? No. Did they beat Spurs? No. They didn’t win against those teams.
Jack Grealish feels Manchester City are judged unfairly to be in ‘crisis’ when they are ‘not’
Pep Guardiola’s men look to win their fifth trophy of 2023 next week in the Club World Cup
‘But then we didn’t win… it’s, “City are in a crisis, blah blah blah”. I think people try to act as if there’s a big crisis when, in reality, there’s not. We’re four points off the top of the league and going to Saudi Arabia next week to try to win a cup that cements us as the best in the world.’
That’s a nod to City’s involvement in the Club World Cup next week as Guardiola’s charges look to add to their 2023 trophy-haul of the Premier League, FA Cup, Champions League and UEFA Super Cup.
Grealish and Co must first negotiate the tricky test of Red Star Belgrade in Serbia on Wednesday, though the defending champions have already won their Champions League group and would be expected to rotate their XI ahead of hosting Crystal Palace on Saturday.
