Explained: Why Pep Guardiola picks Savinho over Manchester City's most expensive signing

Pep Guardiola was not happy with his team's performance yesterday, even though Manchester City defeated West Ham 4-1 at the Etihad. Guardiola informed the reporters after the game that his team didn't perform well like they did in past years. He thinks it will take a while for his team to play at a level that was anticipated of them. However, when Guardiola addressed the media following his team's victory, one comment in particular caught our attention.

Pep Guardiola, the manager of Manchester City, stated that he wants the "treble-winner" Jack Grealish to rejoin his team because the England midfielder has had a difficult season. When City won the UEFA Champions League, Premier League, and FA Cup in 2022–2023, Grealish was a key player in their treble-winning campaign. In 50 games during City's historic season, the 29-year-old recorded five goals and eleven assists. In 2021, Grealish made a club-record 100 million euros signing from Aston Villa to City.

On the other hand, Jack Grealish struggled over the past two seasons, sitting on the bench and failing to score for over a year. Savinho was selected for the West Ham United match instead of Grealish. The Brazilian is now in greater form than Grealish, according to Guardiola. England midfielder must battle for his spot and demonstrate that he is worthy of playing for the team, the City manager added. "Savinho is in better shape and everything than Jack, and that's why I played Savinho. Do I want the Jack that won the treble? Yeah, I want it, but I try to be honest with myself about that. They have to fight. You can say it's unfair," Guardiola told reporters.

Jack Grealish needs to demonstrate his level

Since he only joined Manchester City in the summer, Savinho hasn't been able to share in his teammates' success. However, as a City player, he is still rather young and just starting to develop. He is not, however, constrained by his prior achievements as some of his teammates are. The England midfielder needs to demonstrate his level in training as well, Guardiola continued, adding that he has no doubts about Grealish's ability. "I don't have any doubt about the quality of Jack or any of these players. They would not be here (otherwise).”

On Saturday, Man City will host League Two team Salford City to kick off their FA Cup campaign. Grealish will want to play in that cup matchup in the third round, but it's unclear if Guardiola will allow him to try to regain his spot.