Manchester City are finally getting to see Jack Grealish at his swashbuckling best and Pep Guardiola must be mightily pleased with his £100million man right now.
It has been 18 months since the floppy-haired playmaker swapped his beloved hometown Aston Villa for the Etihad Stadium and with last season's Premier League medal front and centre on his mantelpiece it is Grealish - along with Erling Haaland - that continues to lead the side this term.
Given his early struggles, that might have been an unthinkable scenario this time a year ago, but the popular England international buckled down, got used to Pep Guardiola - and his demands - and is ultimately reaping the benefits with increased game-time and, in turn, output. READ MORE: FA make decision on Guardiola That all but one of his direct contributions for City in the Premier League this campaign have come after the World Cup is a testament to his form and growing importance to this star-studded squad.
But while robot-like teammate Haaland continues to record mind-blowing numbers and think nothing about it, that upturn being enjoyed by Grealish comes armed with a rare sense of humility and self-deprecation. "When I came here, I will be honest with you, it was so much more difficult than I thought," declared Grealish after he was summoned from the bench to provide a match-winning assist against Chelsea at their Stamford Bridge stadium in January. "In my head, I was thinking that going to the team that sits at the top of the league I will be getting so many goals, but obviously it isn't the case. "I've said it a few times, but it's so much different to what I was used to.