Erling Haaland's debut goal shows why Grealish is set for a big year at Man City
Cameron Smith
- 24 Jul 2022 10:08 BST
- 3 min read
Erling Haaland scored the only goal of the game on his Manchester City debut as Pep Guardiola's side ran out 1-0 winners over 10-time reigning Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich.
The Norway international poked home from mere yards away to open his account for his new side.
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Haaland, whose dad played for Man City during his playing career, made the switch from Borussia Dortmund for €60 million this summer after a stellar spell in the Bundesliga.
He netted 85 goals for Dortmund before joining Man City at the demand of Guardiola, who has finally been given a prolific number nine, which he's lacked since Sergio Aguero's exit.
Encouragingly for Guardiola, Haaland's first goal for the club shows glimpses of what's to come from his record signing - Jack Grealish.
Upon arriving from Aston Villa for €118m last year, Grealish struggled to cement his place in the starting XI at the Etihad Stadium and with the creative burden no longer on his shoulders, he was unable to find a clear role in the side.
While he was the star who everyone passed to at Villa Park, that changed when he joined Man City and it didn't suit the Englishman. However, despite only netting three goals and assisting a further three in Premier League action in 2021-22, Grealish's underlying numbers were still excellent.
He ranked in the top one percent of attacking midfielders and wingers in Europe's top five leagues for progressive carries per 90 (13.69) and touches in the attacking penalty area (8.76).
His 5.19 shot-creating actions per 90 also ranked him in the top four percent and expected assists suggests he should've been closer to seven league assists but was let down due to poor finishing.
Grealish's first year wasn't a huge success, but it wasn't a disaster. His second year, however, has the potential to elevate his standing in the game to a new level.
Second season bounce
At Man City, players have tended to see improvement in their second season under Guardiola. It happened with Aymeric Laporte, Raheem Sterling, Rodri and Joao Cancelo, so there's no reason why Grealish can't expect to see improvements too.
With Haaland arriving, that xA will likely soon match his actual assist tally as Man City now have a reliable goal-scorer. Furthermore, the pair have started a blossoming relationship on the pitch.
Erling Haaland debut.
Erling Haaland goal.
He’s a machine 🤖 pic.twitter.com/TVjKov0HM0— Football Transfers (@Transfersdotcom) July 24, 2022
For Haaland's debut goal, it was Grealish who assisted him. Picking up the ball from Kevin de Bruyne, the England international dropped his shoulder to let the ball roll past him and the onrushing Dayot Upamecano, before rolling the ball across the six-yard box for Haaland to tap in.
It's a pattern that could happen frequently in 2022-23. With a natural second season bounce combined with the addition of Haaland, Jack Grealish could explode this year.
