Grealish debuts for Everton in loss at promoted Leeds in Premier League

Jack Grealish was unable to inspire Everton after going on as a second-half substitute for his debut in a 1-0 loss to promoted Leeds in the Premier League on Monday.

The England forward, a poster boy of English soccer, is looking to reignite his career after leaving Manchester City on loan and had to be content with a place on the bench for Everton’s opening game.

Grealish entered in the 71st minute when the score was 0-0 at Elland Road and struggled to make an impact before Leeds was awarded a penalty when Everton captain James Tarkowski blocked a goal-bound shot with his left arm as he leaned his body toward the ball.

Lukas Nmecha, a summer signing only on the field for six minutes as a substitute, stroked the spot kick past Jordan Pickford with just his third touch of the ball for the only goal in the 84th.

Pickford prepared for the penalty by looking at his water bottle. While playing for England, he has had the name of potential opposition penalty-takers on his bottle and where they might hit their attempt.

“That was a bit of a bluff, to be fair,” said Nmecha, a German-born winger who joined on a free transfer after leaving Wolfsburg. “I don't think I was one of the names on there.”

Everton manager David Moyes was unhappy at the awarding of the penalty, saying “it wasn't fair” because Tarkowski's arm wasn't in an unnatural position.

“Tarky would have had to get his arm chopped off,” Moyes said. “It wasn’t outside his body, he wasn’t doing anything different.”

Leeds was making its return to the Premier League after a two-year absence and was the second promoted team to win in the opening round, after Sunderland.

Everton, which failed to have a shot on goal in the first half, will hope for a better performance on Sunday when the team hosts Brighton for the first competitive game in its new, 53,000-seat waterfront stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock, which has replaced Goodison Park as Everton’s home.

Steve Douglas is at https://twitter.com/sdouglas80

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Everton's James Tarkowski and Leeds United's Wilfried Gnonto, right, battle for the ball during the English Premier League soccer match between Leeds United and Everton at Elland Road, in Leeds, England, Monday, Aug. 18, 2025. (Danny Lawson/PA via AP)

Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford in action during the English Premier League soccer match between Leeds United and Everton at Elland Road, in Leeds, England, Monday, Aug. 18, 2025. (Danny Lawson/PA via AP)

Leeds United's Lukas Nmecha celebrates scoring their side's first goal of the game from a penalty during the English Premier League soccer match between Leeds United and Everton at Elland Road, in Leeds, England, Monday, Aug. 18, 2025. (Danny Lawson/PA via AP)

From left to right, Leeds United's Brenden Aaronson, Everton's Jack Grealish and Leeds United's Jayden Bogle battle for the ball during an English Premier League soccer match between Leeds United and Everton at Elland Road in Leeds, England, Monday, Aug. 18, 2025. (Danny Lawson/PA via AP)

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo says he’s healthy and wants to play even as the Milwaukee Bucks continue to say the two-time MVP is too injured to take the floor.

Antetokounmpo missed a 10th straight game on Friday night against the Boston Celtics due to what the team has described as a left knee hyperextension and bone bruise. Antetokounmpo hasn’t played since landing awkwardly during a March 15 victory over the Indiana Pacers.

“I’m healthy,” Antetokounmpo told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and The Athletic before Friday’s game. “I hate it when people force me to do things against my nature. I’m a player. I get paid to play.”

For the last couple of weeks, Antetokounmpo has participated in pregame warmups without showing any apparent signs of injury.

Antetokounmpo also noted that the Bucks should have known this about him since the 31-year-old has spent his entire 13-year career in Milwaukee.

Throughout that time, Antetokounmpo has had a reputation for rapid returns from injury, most notably when he hyperextended his knee during Milwaukee’s 2021 playoff run but missed two games before returning to lead the Bucks to their first title in half a century.

“You know who you’re dealing with,” Antetokounmpo told reporters. “So, for somebody to come and tell me to not play or to not compete, it’s like a slap in my face.”

Bucks coach Doc Rivers addressed Antetokounmpo's comments after the 133-101 loss to Boston.

“The tough part about all this is that I’m in the middle and I have nothing to do with it,” Rivers said. “Coaches don’t decide any of this. The problem with our league is the coaches are the ones sitting out front. And we have to sit here and answer this stuff. I think there are two sides to this, I will tell you that, but I don’t want to get too involved in it.”

The Bucks still had a remote chance of earning a 10th straight playoff berth at the time of that Indiana game, but they were officially eliminated from contention last week. There’s also the possibility of Antetokounmpo getting hurt again if he returns to action — he has missed a career-high 41 games this season and had two extended absences due to calf strains.

“I understand the circumstances — yes, we’re not going to be in the playoffs,” Antetokounmpo said. “For some people’s eyes, it’s not worth it for me to be out there. But for me, it’s something that goes against my nature.”

Rivers said he has a “great relationship” with Antetokounmpo and that he often talks to the superstar about what to work on and what to add to his game. Rivers added that he didn't like the “he-said, she-said” nature of this dispute and added that “this is a grown man's game, and it should be handled that way by everybody.”

“I just don’t like that this is so public," Rivers said. "This is where grown men get in a room and they talk it out. Whether they agree or disagree, that doesn’t matter. But this should not be public, and I don’t like that.”

Antetokounmpo also wanted the opportunity to play alongside his younger brother, Alex, who made his NBA debut Tuesday. There was a possibility of three Antetokounmpo brothers playing alongside each other in the same game, since Giannis’ older brother, Thanasis, also is on the Bucks.

“When my dad passed away, I pretty much raised (Alex),” Antetokounmpo said. “He’s able to be on the team and suit up and chase an opportunity to be great. You really think I don’t want to suit up and play with my brother? Anybody who thinks that is an idiot.”

Thanasis and Alex both played in the closing minutes Friday night, the first time the two brothers had played together in an NBA game.

Antetokounmpo’s desire to play — and the Bucks’ wishes to rest him — drew the attention of the National Basketball Players Association last month.

“The Player Participation Policy was designed by the league to hold teams accountable and ensure that when an All-Star like Giannis Antetokounmpo is healthy and ready to play, he is on the court,” the union said in a statement. “Unfortunately, anti-tanking policies are only as effective as their enforcement; fans, broadcast partners, and the integrity of the game itself will continue to suffer as long as ownership goes unchecked. We look forward to collaborating with the NBA on meaningful new proposals that will directly address and discourage tanking.”

This dispute between Antetokounmpo and the Bucks comes at a time when his future in Milwaukee is uncertain. Antetokounmpo’s name dominated league-wide discussions leading up to the trade deadline, though the Bucks ultimately kept him.

Antetokounmpo becomes eligible to sign a four-year contract extension worth up to $275 million in October. If he doesn’t sign the extension, Antetokounmpo could become a free agent after the 2026-27 season, or the Bucks could decide to trade him beforehand.

Now they find themselves at odds over how to handle the rest of this season.

“I don't think there's a bad person in this group - none of the guys that I'm talking about,” Rivers said. "They're all good people. But we've got to figure out how to put good people on the same page, and it stays inside. I've never been a fan of negotiating in the media. I don't think it's good for anybody.

Antetokounmpo had his own take on how this could be resolved.

“I don’t know where the relationship goes from there,” Antetokounmpo said. “We’ve got to go to couples therapy.”

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

Injured Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo, center right, talks with an official, center left, during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Boston Celtics, Friday, April 3, 2026, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Aaron Gash)