Jack Grealish failed to register any points, much alone a goal or an assist, in his debut Merseyside derby for Everton. Indeed, Liverpool won 2-1, keeping them atop the Premier League table.
Mohamed Salah put up Ryan Gravenberch for the opening goal, and the Dutchman then set up Hugo Ekitike to make it 2-0 before halftime. Idrissa Gueye pulled one back for the Toffees in the second half, but it wasn’t enough to gain a point, as the home team won 2-1.
Despite the setback, Grealish maintained his good form in an Everton shirt, after looking very promising for the club in the early stages of his loan term. He was so impressive that announcer Ally McCoist indicated he may be Man of the Match before awarding it to Gravenberch because he believed the accolade should go to someone on the winning side.
Grealish shines against Liverpool.
He finished the game having created four key passes – twice as many as anyone else on the pitch – from 52 touches, while also completing his only attempted long ball, and winning nine out of 14 duels in what was a hard-working display, littered with flashes of quality.
In their player ratings, Goodison News handed him an 8/10 and praised him for ‘constantly threatening the Reds’ backline’. They also noted the role he played in the goal as the Toffees got back into the game in the 58th minute, writing: ‘Grealish played a wonderful ball to Iliman Ndiaye, who cut it back for Gueye to reduce the deficit and make it a nervy encounter.’
It was a tough outing overall, but the Englishman can hold his head up high after putting in a fine performance for his team.
Fans Praise Grealish, Aim Digs at Guardiola
A lot has been said about Grealish’s tenure at Manchester City. Although he won many games, many people thought that the players at the Etihad Stadium were constrained and struggled to shine in the same way that he had at Aston Villa.
Adding fuel to the fire of this hypothesis, the Englishman has looked like a player reborn during his time with Everton thus far. That was evident at Anfield, as fans praised Grealish while criticizing Pep Guardiola for not getting the most out of the 30-year-old.
One fan stated, “Guardiola almost ruined Grealish’s career. “Look at Grealish now.” Another wrore: “Grealish is a baller, Pep nearly ruined him…” One additional remark:
“I’m sorry, but the way Guardiola forced Jack Grealish to play was an absolute travesty.” “What a player!”
Another person said, “Greaish looks good, man; what was Pep doing to him?”
Others praised the player, emphasizing his quality rather than Guaridola himself. Along those lines, one supporter said, “No words for Jack Grealish.” His football IQ is off the charts, man. No one can communicate with him in that regard. Technical genius + IQ, awesome.
Another person stated, “Grealish is incredible.” One person wrote, “Greaish is class. It’s good to see him enjoying football again.” A final fan summed up the mood with: “Grease, top class today for Everton.”
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