Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola says Raheem Sterling’s new self-belief is behind his brilliant form after seeing him sink Southampton with a 96th-minute winner.
Sterling’s 13th goal of the season gave City a club-record 12th successive Premier League victory which restores their eight-point lead at the top of the table.
Sterling had scored decisive late goals in City’s previous two wins, over Feyenoord and Huddersfield, but his third strike of the week was his most dramatic of the lot, and sparked wild celebrations from City boss Pep Guardiola and his bench.
“Raheem is a match-winner, it was a fantastic goal, I am so happy for him,” Guardiola said.
“As I have said many times, he is making steps. Before he was a little bit more shy and he did not believe, but now he can do that.
“I think his team-mates give him the confidence and say ‘we trust in you’ but then you have to have the personality to do what he did in the last minute.”
The referee Paul Tierney spoke to Guardiola to calm him down before play restarted and the City boss admitted he lost control of his emotions.
“I apologised, I could not control it,” he added. “I was so happy like all the fans and all the players. I wanted to run behind ‘Ras’, but I am not fast enough. We are so happy.”
Among the City players and staff who tried to catch Sterling as he ran the length of the pitch to celebrate his goal was Benjamin Mendy, who is sidelined until spring with a anterior cruciate ligament injury.
“Mendy is crazy,” Guardiola said with a smile. “He has a six-month injury, and he is running. Disaster!”
Source:BBC Sports
