In the 2018-19 season in the Sky Bet Championship, Grealish’s lengthy spell on the sidelines with a shin injury almost derailed Villa’s bid to return to the Premier League after a three-year absence. During his three months out of the line-up, Villa won just two out of 13 league games, drawing seven and losing four, picking up 13 points from a possible 39.
His return coincided with 10 straight Villa wins, starting with a 4-0 thumping of Derby – Grealish played in nine of them and was rested for one – as they marched into the play-offs from a position of mid-table mediocrity.
Not only are Villa thriving in the top-flight because of Grealish, not only did they survive last season due in a large part to him – but, without him, they simply wouldn’t even have got back there in the first place.
It’s obvious that his absence hurts Villa severely. What is less obvious, however, is that every team on the planet would miss the output Jack Grealish provides.