Jack Grealish sets unwanted record for Man City in 2024 | OneFootball

Jack Grealish once said that during long, lonely spells on the sidelines through injury, he would watch highlights of himself to "bring back my love of football".

2024 has not provided the Manchester City forward with many clips to add to his motivational reel. Across a year that saw him left at home for Euro 2024, lose his place in Pep Guardiola's starting XI and endure the worst losing run in modern City history, Grealish failed to score a single club goal.

In a painfully neat encapsulation of the struggles which have dogged the affable 29-year-old, Grealish was left to watch on from the bench as City nervily hung on to a 2-0 victory over Leicester City on Sunday afternoon. The defending champions secured three precious points, but Grealish was robbed of the chance to break his 12-month wait for a goal.

Jack Grealish stats in 2024

Jack Grealish has been frustrated by his poor form this season / Dan Mullan/GettyImages

Grealish scored twice for England in 2024 - nabbing two goals in three caps during Lee Carsley's fleeting interim reign - but hasn't found the net in a competitive club match since opening the scoring in a 2-2 draw against Crystal Palace on 16 December 2023. Ironically, that was the forward's third goal in three consecutive Premier League games - the best scoring run of his entire top-flight career.

While Grealish has never posed as a prolific forward - he has broken into double digits during a single season just once throughout his career - 2024 marks the first time he has failed to score a senior club goal in an entire calendar year since making his professional debut over a decade ago.

The blank overall tally of goals is the most eye-catching figure, but the measly number of efforts is more worrying for Grealish. This has not been a case of a miscalibrated radar, he has barely had any chances to miss. The increasingly injury-prone forward spent more days on the sidelines (39) than he had attempts at goal, mustering just 34 in 32 appearances.

In defence of a likeable, charitable figure who is nevertheless booed at every away ground, Grealish did play some role in City's 2023/24 Premier League title. However, the call for more attacking "brilliance" which Guardiola made to his £100m recruit at the start of last season has gone emphatically unanswered.

As the January transfer window creaks open, resetting Grealish's countdown to avoid another barren year, there have been reports of an exit route for the out-of-sorts forward. Both Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United are monitoring the former Aston Villa academy graduate, per the Daily Mail. Whether an injury-ravaged City side can afford to let any warm bodies leave - even ones enduring a goal-drought as long as Grealish's - remains to be seen.