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Jack Grealish scored a first Premier League goal in 16 months then dedicated it to his brother, Keelan, on the 25th anniversary of his passing in an emotional post-victory tribute.
The attacking midfielder’s strike came after only 70 seconds as Leicester were shredded by a Savinho dart down the right; the Brazilian found Grealish who beat Mads Hermansen to the goalkeeper’s right. Afterwards on Instagram, Grealish said: “With me always, especially this day – that was for you Keelan.”
He told Sky: “My little brother passed away 25 years ago [aged just nine months]. This day is hard on the family but I was happy to score. My mum and dad were here. This day is always difficult in the family, so to score and to win was brilliant.”
Grealish’s opener was his first in the league since he scored against Crystal Palace on 16 December 2023.
“As soon as I scored I knew this would be what people say but listen, this season I’ve not been at my best – even last season,” he said. “I’ve not started in the Premier League since before Christmas. But I was happy I started tonight and to score.”
Omar Marmoush was the player billed pre-game as the injured Erling Haaland’s capable stand-in; his response was to score City’s second. For Pep Guardiola, who adores the Champions League, the end result is business accomplished in the bid to seal a qualification berth: victory lifts City to fourth. Yet as is the story of an underwhelming campaign, the manager’s charges lacked sharpness and intensity and Guardiola will spend the close season addressing this as he targets a return to a high-octane game.
Those who waited until nine minutes to take their seat in protest at City partnering with Viagogo, a ticket resale site, missed Grealish’s opener, which instantly made it feel like the Foxes would be lucky to depart without serious embarrassment. Guardiola, seated in the stands due to a one-game ban, swigged from a bottle of water and would be overjoyed at his choice of Grealish as the playmaker.
Ruud van Nistelrooy’s side last scored on 7 February via Bobby De Cordova-Reid. So when finally planting a few boots in City territory you understood why Bilal El Khannouss tried to curl an equaliser past Ederson from long range.
He missed, but more measured was a move down the right that ended when Patson Daka twisted away from Josko Gvardiol but ran the ball out. The Leicester advance pointed to City lacking the iron-fisted control of past seasons. Where once the ball was guarded, sloppiness informs the opponent they have a chance.
Rúben Dias’s loose pass upfield was an example. So too was Savinho slipping over to allow El Khannouss to pilfer possession. After this show of City weakness, cue Leicester imploding, or rather Hermansen: another poorly aimed Dias ball went straight into the keeper, but he spilled and Marmoush steered home off an upright.
Marmoush went close to netting a seventh since joining in January but a shot was blocked. Then Savinho drew a sharp Hermansen save after an Ilkay Gündogan cross.
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City players took potshots, and from his bird’s eye view Guardiola enjoyed the domination, but a nagging concern was only a two-goal lead as the players wandered off for their interval refreshments.
A Grealish miscontrol of an errant Nico O’Reilly pass was hardly the best start to the second half. Moments later Grealish weaved into the area, Leicester parted like the proverbial, and the forward fell on his backside. A penalty was demanded but Darren England was not interested, nor did the VAR ask the referee to take a second look. Replays seemed to show a Grealish miskick only.
In potent mood City know when to speed up the patient stuff, as Grealish did when pivoting infield and finding O’Reilly. Suddenly the local boy saw an opening and a smart outside-of-the-boot stab followed that might have been City’s third. Yet cleverness was absent from Marmoush’s wild blaze over following silken Savinho-Grealish-Jérémy Doku passes: the Egyptian should have made it 3-0 and put Leicester away.
But no, and what ensued was tepid fare. City were at 70%-plus possession and the counter showed 14 shots to Leicester’s paltry one but the champions had settled into keep-ball mode, tapping it about in and around halfway.
A Savinho pratfall summed this up. Sunday’s crosstown trip to Manchester United for the 196th derby will hopefully be more vibrant.
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