Raheem Sterling was once again Manchester City’s hero after he netted a brace to move Pep Guardiola’s side briefly back to the top of the Premier League.
After slipping up in North London in midweek in their Champions League game against Spurs, the Champions were back in the capital this afternoon, getting back to winning ways with a 3-1 victory against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.
The Citizens secured the three points courtesy of a brace from Raheem Sterling before Luka Milivojevic’s fine free-kick made it a nervy finale for the travelling City Faithful. However, Gabriel Jesus rounded off the scoring in the final minutes, although the Blues’ two-goal hero thought that the Citizens controlled the game throughout.
“We controlled the ball really well but one moment in the game and they are back in it. But we responded again and got the third goal,” he told BBC Sport.
Sterling could, and almost certainly should have had a hat-trick after he missed an absolute sitter in the 12th minute, but he insisted that he refused to let the early miss affect the rest of his game.
“When I was younger you always want to score your first opportunity and sometimes it doesn’t happen like that.
“You don’t beat yourself up. There’s 80 minutes left, you just have to be ready for the next opportunity. That’s the mentality, just keep going and the chance will come.”
The win moved Man City back ahead of Liverpool at the top of the league, although the England international reckons that the title will not be decided until the last game of the season, as well as giving plenty of praise to his former team.
“100 percent [it will go to the last day] the way Liverpool have been playing. It will go down to the wire. I don’t see us slowing down now. Liverpool have a great squad, great self-belief, but so do we.”
The result temporarily moved City back to the summit of the Premier League, although Liverpool regained top spot after they beat Chelsea 2-0 at Anfield, although they have played one more game than the Citizens.
