It probably comes as no surprise to you readers at all, but us journalists could probably learn a thing or two from a gaggle of 30 children when it comes to asking the right questions.
Pop us in a room with Jack Grealish and we’d probably want to know all about what it’s like playing under Pep Guardiola, what he’s made of his form this season and various other fairly standard footballing enquiries.
Thankfully for the England international, he was treated to a quickfire audience with a bunch of kids as part of the recent Expo 2020 Dubai event.
A clip posted on City’s Twitter account showed one would-be Jeremy Paxman asking what we really want to know.
“How long does it take to do your hair?”
Grealish, who had already revealed his grooming regimen requires Moroccan oil, hair wax and hairspray, replied: “If I want it done properly… a nice six minutes.”
That got us thinking at City Is Ours. How many times have City scored quicker than it takes Grealish to do his hair this season? You were wondering the same, right?
The earliest the man himself has netted in any match this season was in the 13th minute of the 7-0 shellacking of Leeds United, but a few of his team-mates have been quicker out of the blocks.
Raheem Sterling v Watford - 3:42
City’s fastest goal of the season and Grealish - who probably hasn’t even reached the hair wax stage of the operation by this point - played his part by pulling Craig Cathcart away from Sterling, who was left unmarked to gleefully head home Phil Foden’s cross at the back post.
Kevin De Bruyne v Leicester City - 4:07
It sounds weird for a goal so early on in a game that went on to completely lose its head after half-time, but De Bruyne’s Boxing Day opener had been coming. Wave after wave of attack concluded with the Belgium star bringing down Fernandinho’s lofted pass and swiping past Kasper Schmeichel left-footed.
Ruben Dias v Newcastle - 4:41
There seemed to be little danger when Joao Cancelo knocked De Bruyne’s chipped ball across the Newcastle six-yard box, but Dias was left with a simple finish to set a 4-0 win in motion. What Ciaran Clark was up to is anyone’s guess. Perhaps he stood in a puddle of Moroccan oil.
Ilkay Gundogan v Fulham - 5:27
The start to a game that could make a coach tear their hair out. Thankfully for Pep, that’s not so much of a problem, so he could simply enjoy Gundogan finding a quickfire equaliser to Fabio Carvalho’s fourth-minute opener.
“A nice six minutes”
Putting your best look together takes some time and Grealish’s phrasing suggests he doesn’t put himself stringently on the clock.
Therefore, we owe an honourable mention to Gundogan’s opened in August’s 5-0 win over Arsenal (6:52), Eric Bailly’s marvellous own-goal in the derby (6:39) and Riyad Mahrez’s effort to launch the recent Sporting Lisbon rout (6:23), all of which probably fall well within the final flourish of hairspray.
What have you made of Jack Grealish at Manchester City so far? Follow City Is Ours editor Dom Farrell on Twitter to get involved in the discussion and give us your thoughts in the comments section below.
