Moyes lauds Everton difference-maker Grealish after scooping Premier League award
Ahead of Everton's Premier League clash with Aston Villa, Jack Grealish was named the division's Player of the Month for the first time.
David Moyes described Jack Grealish as a difference maker for his Everton side following his stellar start to life on Merseyside.
Grealish joined the Toffees on a season-long loan from Manchester City ahead of the 2025-26 campaign, and has hit the ground running under Moyes.
The England international, who missed out on a place in Thomas Tuchel's latest squad, assisted four Premier League goals in August, more than any other player across Europe's top five leagues.
He also has the joint-most goal involvements in the top flight, alongside Chelsea's Joao Pedro, with his displays rewarded with the Premier League Player of the Month award.
It is the first time Grealish has won the accolade in his career, while he also became the 10th different Everton player to win the award, beating off competition from Liverpool duo Hugo Ekitike and Dominik Szoboszlai and former team-mate Erling Haaland.
"I'm really pleased for him. He's worked incredibly hard in games," Moyes told reporters in his pre-match press conference ahead of facing Aston Villa this weekend.
"He's looked after himself in the summer and made sure he came back with the right mindset to produce, and he has produced for us. He's made a big difference for us.
"It's nothing down to me. It's down to Jack Grealish.
"I think Jack wants that feeling that he can play and he can be selected, and when he does that, I think he produces."
Indeed, only Oscar Bobb (seven), Estevao (eight), Mohammed Kudus (nine) and Yankuba Minteh (11) have completed more dribbles in the Premier League this season than Grealish (six).
The 30-year-old has assisted two goals in both of his last two Premier League appearances – the first ever Everton player to achieve this, and as many times as he had recorded more than one assist in his first 191 appearances in the competition beforehand.
No player in Premier League history has ever assisted 2+ goals in three successive matches, but Grealish will be looking to do so against former club Villa at Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Unai Emery's team have struggled so far this season. For just the second time in the club's history, Villa have failed to score in their first three league games of a season, also doing so in 1997-98 (first three).
Only four teams have failed to score in their first four Premier League games of a season, but Moyes was quick to laud his opposite number ahead of this weekend's clash.
"I've got respect for Aston Villa and I've got great respect for their manager and what they've done in recent seasons. They've been amazing," Moyes added.
"It's a huge game for us. They're one of the teams everybody expect to be near and around the top."
