Gabriel Agbonlahor has criticised the media for their being too harsh on Manchester City star Jack Grealish.

The pundit says that, while it is understandable that Grealish’s performances are under scrutiny after being signed for £100m, he points to the example of Chelsea’s Kai Havertz who has gotten off lightly in comparison:

“As a £100million footballer, that’s what Aston Villa valued him at and they got that. That’s not his fault but he’s getting judged because of that. There are other players that have been brought in for big money. You look at [Kai] Havertz and you don’t hear anything about him not doing it, him not performing. I feel for Jack. He’s just got to keep his head, keep concentrating on his game, do what his manager wants him to do and that’s all that matters.”

There is no doubt that Grealish has received more criticism than he deserves but it should be mentioned that even the player himself has admitted he hasn’t performed to the level he expects.

When it comes to Havertz, the straightforward answer as to why the £72m Chelsea forward hasn’t been criticised so heavily is because he scored a winner in a Champions League final.

Fans and pundits are certainly more forgiving when a player plays such a decisive role in winning a trophy. Grealish will be hoping to provide City supporters with a similar moment during his time at the Etihad.