Aston Villa boss Dean Smith has hailed the form of skipper Jack Grealish going into the Christmas schedule.
Smith will not talk about his captain's nine-month driving ban after he admitted two counts of careless driving earlier this month.
But, on the pitch, Grealish has been the inspiration behind five away wins from six that sees Villa in the top half of the Premier League.
"He is on another level, he's playing wonderful football," said Smith ahead of the visit of Crystal Palace.
"At West Brom (3-0 win last weekend) it looked like he was playing in the playground with his mates. His big mate Callum Robinson came on at the end and he picked up the ball in our half and I just knew he was going to try and run past him. He wanted to show what he could do!
"It was a fantastic performance and the levels he's got to now, we need to keep pushing him and squeezing even more out of him where he can. He's a joy to watch at the moment."
There has also been a positional change that could interest England boss Gareth Southgate, with Grealish having been used in a No 10 role of late.
"There's still improvements," added Smith. "Sometimes he picks the ball up a little bit too deep at times. He wants to be involved in the game all the time. He's had a different role in the last couple of games, playing as a No.10, and he's played it very well.
"He's (previously) been playing in wide left areas and as a left forward, there he can come inside and link the play.
"But he has done really well as a 10. I just felt in those games he would find more space and more of the ball in those areas and he has done.' Villa, meanwhile, have taken just one point from 12 at home since beating Liverpool 7-2, although Smith is not concerned.
"I think we've been very unlucky at Villa Park, with the exception of Leeds (0-3)," he said. "We'd won four games on the spin but ended up going toe-to-toe and playing a Leeds United game, which we didn't need to do.
"Other than that, we've actually played very well. We should have beaten Burnley (0-0). Brighton (1-2) got away with a VAR in the last minute. Southampton (3-4) scored three set-pieces and a 30-yarder - that doesn't happen very often.
"I know it's only a marker, but in Expected Goals we've won all three of them games. For me, there is not an awful lot wrong. Unfortunately, the lack of fans neutralises home and away."
