Man City star Grealish opens up on his 'difficult' season under Guardiola

Jack Grealish admits that this season at Manchester City has been 'difficult' - but urged he is still playing with 'confidence' despite struggling for form ahead of his side's Premier League title run-in.

The England star, who played a pivotal role during City's Treble-winning heroics last campaign, has endured a significant reduction in game time this season after undergoing a barren stint in front of goal and suffering from a series of injuries.

Grealish has only started nine of City's 33 league matches this term, significantly fewer than his 23 starts last campaign, but insists he is still 'playing with confidence' as Pep Guardiola's side push for a record fourth successive Premier League title.

'It's been difficult (this season),' he told The Athletic. 'Especially on the back of last year, I had such a good season. I was playing a lot and was one of the main players in the team and playing in all the important games.

'This year at the start of the season I had a dead leg which kept me out for a month and then I didn't play too often. I don't think my form was the best and I wasn't playing with a lot of confidence. In the new year, I had a few injuries again as well with my groin.

'Recently, obviously I haven't scored yet, but I feel good, I feel fit and I feel like I'm playing with good confidence. Hopefully, I can bring that into the end of the season.'

Despite not playing frequently in the Premier League, Grealish started all eight of Manchester City's Champions League games and was hooked off on the hour mark during the club's bitter penalty shootout defeat by Real Madrid in the quarter-finals on Wednesday night.

When asked what has caused his loss of confidence earlier in the season, Grealish replied: 'I don't know. I just think sometimes if you're not playing and probably not up to it in training, in your own head you just don't feel confident.

'It's not even about scoring and assisting. Now, I feel confident even though I've not scored. I got an assist last week at the Bernabeu (against Real Madrid) but I've said before that nowadays everyone loves to talk about goals and assists.

'It's annoying the way the game has gone because you can have a brilliant game and not get a goal or an assist and they say "ah, he didn't do this or that". And then you can score two tap-ins at the back post and not play well at all and everyone's like "ah, he's brilliant".

'At the moment, I feel good and I feel confident. At the start of the season, I just didn't feel like I was playing well really. I didn't really feel that fit if I'm honest. Coming in the team, playing a game, then being out of the team, in and out, it was a little bit difficult but I feel good now.'

With the Treble no longer a possibility, City are now bidding for the domestic double with an FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea their next test at Wembley on Saturday.

City took control in the title race after Arsenal and Liverpool surprisingly dropped points in the Premier League last weekend, with Grealish and Co now boasting a two-point lead ahead of the Gunners' trip to Wolves.