“Maybe it was my mistake” – Pep Guardiola opens up on Jack Grealish decision following recent Manchester City change

Pep Guardiola, the manager of Manchester City, has acknowledged that playing Jack Grealish primarily as a left-winger might have been an error throughout his time at the Etihad Stadium.

Grealish was given a rare opportunity to play in central midfield during Manchester City’s recent match, as the team sought to end a seven-game winless streak.

Alongside Kevin De Bruyne and Ilkay Gundogan, Grealish displayed composure, relentless forward movement, and excellent timing in accelerating and slowing down the game. His performance, contributing to a 3-0 victory that ended City’s poor run, has led to questions about whether his long-term role should be in midfield rather than on the left wing.

Speaking to the media before City’s match against Crystal Palace, Guardiola admitted he might have erred in deploying Grealish as a left-sided forward, given his impressive central performance. “He has the attributes to play there (centrally),” Guardiola said. “Maybe it was my mistake to play him as a winger. But in Aston Villa with Dean (Smith) he started from the left position, the winger position, and after going more inside. But he can adapt perfectly in both.”

Regarding whether Grealish’s midfield performance boosted his confidence, Guardiola stated, “It just was just one game. We have to see in the future for many, many things. The confidence comes from himself. I know he likes to play in his position, we have a lot of needs right now, and of course with and without the ball, the impact of the game was really, really good.”

Manchester City aims to close the gap on league leaders Liverpool to six points. The team faces a crucial week, traveling to Turin to play Juventus and then hosting Manchester United in a Premier League derby.