The England international has played 36 times so far in this campaign, just three fewer appearances than he managed in the entirety of 2021/2022.
Since joining from Aston Villa, the winger has had to adapt to Guardiola’s unique footballing philosophy while helping the side in our hunt for trophies across all competitions.
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As with many players during the Catalan’s reign, that understanding has only improved in the second campaign.
It has seen him become one of the boss’ go-to men, taking the wide left position in the front three for most of our biggest clashes.
The February Etihad Player of the Month hasn’t missed a single Premier League game since the end of the World Cup, a run that comprises of nine wins in 13 games.
Asked to hold his position out on the touchline, Grealish has proved a highly effective outlet for his team-mates in midfield and defence, keeping the ball and helping to advance the Blues up the pitch.
The No.10’s influence on this City side cannot easily be measured through traditional metrics.
However, a deeper look into Opta’s numbers surrounding his output reveals the true impact the 27-year-old has on the Premier League champions.
Guardiola’s football is predicated on the importance of passing but committing defenders by dribbling is essential to move low lying defenders out of position and create space for the likes of Erling Haaland and Julian Alvarez to move into.
When excluding central defenders, Grealish leads the way for the number of carries per 90 minutes across the entire league, taking the ball more than five yards 24.7 times per game on average.
His carry distance per 90 minutes is the furthest in the top-flight, taking it an average of 323 metres in every game he plays.
Fellow City men Rodrigo (237) and Bernardo Silva (235) feature in third and fourth on the list, but way behind Grealish.
While some carries are focused on retaining possession, Grealish is second when it comes to carries that lead to a chance for a team-mate. He has 1.1 of those per 90 minutes, behind only Spurs’ Dejan Kulusevski with 1.3.
A host of players perform 0.9 chance creating carries every 90 minutes, but Grealish is one of just two across the entirety of the Premier League.
As an attacker playing close to the goal of our opponent, Grealish has to expect pressure from defenders. His pass success of 84.9% is second only to Rodrigo (86.2%) when an opponent is within two metres of him.
His overall pass success is 88% but that doesn’t mean he is only playing easy balls, with the average player expected to complete 82% of those that he has attempted.
That positive difference of 6% is second only to Arsenal’s midfield linchpin Martin Odegaard (6.1%).
Expected assists (xA) measures the likelihood that any given pass will become an assist, considering type of pass, pass end-point and length of pass amongst other factors.
When all that is taken into account, Grealish’s open play xA of 0.25 is joint second across the Premier League. The leader in this metric is, of course, Kevin De Bruyne.
The Belgian’s figure of 0.46 is a frankly incredible offering, but no player should have to suffer with comparisons to our No.17.
Our left-hand side for much of the season has seen Grealish combine with Nathan Ake. While Ake may primarily have been a central defender that has moved over to the left, we’re not shy of sending the ball through Ake in order to reach Grealish and begin a move towards goal.
Our left-hand side for much of the season has seen Grealish combine with Nathan Ake. While Ake may primarily have been a central defender that has moved over to the left, we’re not shy of sending the ball through Ake in order to reach Grealish and begin a move towards goal.
The Dutch defender has passed to Grealish on 204 occasions, more than twice as many times as anyone else this season.
Midfield men Rodrigo (84), Bernardo Silva (65) and Kevin De Bruyne (61) are next but a long way back, highlighting our tactic of getting the ball to Grealish via Ake.
Once all is considered, Grealish’s influence on City’s style so far this season is undeniable.
With the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup still up for grabs, the next two months could see the England international take the next step in his City career.
