Grealish wants to 'play every game possible' as Man City prepare for hectic season finale

Pep Guardiola's team pursue multiple trophies with England forward key part of his plans

Manchester City's Jack Grealish celebrates scoring against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium in February. PA

Jack Grealish is eyeing Manchester City’s hectic end of season with nothing but excitement and desire.

The mercurial England forward is back training with the reigning Premier League champions after helping the Three Lions to a successful start in their European Championship qualifying campaign with wins over Italy and Ukraine.

With England already having established a stranglehold on their group, Grealish will now concentrate on trying to chase down Arsenal at the top of the Premier League and ousting Bayern Munich who stand in the way of City reaching another Champions League semi-final.

A packed end of season schedule begins on Saturday with a blockbuster domestic contest against Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool in which a City victory would, temporarily at least, cut Arsenal’s lead to five points with the Gunners still to visit the Etihad Stadium.

The two-legged UCL affair with Bayern Munich then looms large on the horizon and there’s an FA Cup semi-final with Sheffield United not far away either.

Grealish, whose form has improved sharply in his second season under Pep Guardiola, wants to play in all those games and does not fear burn out.

“I just love playing football. Playing football matches is the best thing you can do,” he said.

“It’s something that I love doing. I just want to play in every game possible. The most important time of the season is now here. We’ve still got three trophies to aim for and I feel I am in the best form since I moved to City.

“I think it’s a confidence thing really. At the moment, I feel like one of the main players, and I’m the fittest I have been. That comes down to playing a lot of games on the bounce and playing in big games, just making an impact really, scoring against Arsenal and United, getting assists at Chelsea away and then Arsenal at home in the Cup, big games like that. I’m really confident.”

Erling Haaland celebrates scoring Manchester City's sixth goal - and his fifth - in the 7-0 Champions League round of 16 second leg win against RB Leipzig at the Etihad Stadium on March 14, 2023. PA

Haaland shakes hands with City manager Pep Guardiola as he leaves the pitch after being substituted. AFP

Kevin De Bruyne celebrates scoring City's seventh goal. PA

Haaland celebrates scoring the fifth goal with John Stones. AFP

Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring City' fifth goal and his fourth. AP

Haaland celebrates scoring the fifth goal. Reuters

Ilkay Gundogan with Jack Grealish after scoring City's fourth goal. PA

Haaland scores City's third goal of the game and his hat-trick. PA

Haaland celebrates scoring City's second goal. Reuters

Haaland scores City's second goal. Action Images

Erling Haaland celebrates scoring the second goal. Reuters

Haaland celebrates scoring City's second goal with Bernardo Silva. Reuters

Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring City's first goal from the penalty spot. Getty

Erling Haaland scores with a penalty for City's opening goal. Getty

City's Erling Haaland in action with Leipzig's Janis Blaswich. Reuters

Kevin De Bruyne is challenged by David Raum. Getty

City manager Pep Guardiola shouts instructions. Getty

Grealish, 27, who is about to reach a half century of Premier League starts for City following his highly-scrutinised £100 million move from Aston Villa, revealed his rich vein of form has not been triggered by doing anything differently.

There has been no special fitness plan or diet and the midfielder puts his run in the City starting line up purely down to heightened self-belief.

“You always want to be doing well, but you know in yourself when you are playing well, and how confident you are. That’s what it probably is,” he confirmed.

“When you feel fit and you are playing a lot of games, you just feel good in yourself and that’s what I’m doing at the moment. City are winning a lot of games and I’m getting goals and assists, and helping the team in important matches.

“When you are playing week in, week out, it is so much easier to have a rhythm. That’s what I have at the moment. In the last 15 games the only two I didn’t start were the two cup ones, Burnley and Bristol City. It means a lot even to me, and to my confidence that the manager is trusting me in these big games.”

It’s not unusual for Guardiola to sit key players out in certain matches. Star names Ruben Dias, Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, Riyad Mahrez and Phil Foden have all warmed the bench in recent matches.

So there is no complacency in Grealish’s make-up as he strives to be on the team sheet for the visit of Liverpool to the Etihad in Saturday’s early kick-off.

“In the back of my mind the fact that Pep is trusting me in big games helps the confidence,” he said. “And I do feel I have repaid him, played my part, done well. And I think that is why he is keeping me in the team.

“You know you have to keep the standards high, even more so now I’m playing for City. You have a dip in form or a few bad games and it turns into quite a big thing, ‘oh Jack’s not playing’. Not just me but anyone of the players. There is a pressure to keep performing but that’s part of football and playing for a team that is challenging for every trophy.”

If Grealish continues his sparkling run he could be a very busy man. City, who have won their last six matches in all competitions and are unbeaten in 10 outings, have a minimum of 14 games left to play this season and possibly four more to add to that if they are successful in the FA Cup and Champions League.