Sterling told he can improve

– Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola insisted there was still room for improvement from Raheem Sterling (above) after the forward’s starring role in a 6-1 win over Southampton that returned his team to the top of the Premier League.

The defending champions remain on course to better last season’s record-breaking tally of 106 goals after another emphatic display that leaves them with a plus29 goal difference just 11 games into the new campaign.

Sterling was the pick of the attacking talents during Sunday’s match at the Etihad Stadium, scoring two goals and providing three assists as City raced into a 3-0 lead inside 18 minutes.

“He is a top player but still he is so young to be considered the world’s best,” said Guardiola when asked to rank Sterling among the game’s current leading players.

“He is in incredible form, he is sharp, fast, clever, fighting, decisive, he can play both sides and can play in the middle and receive the ball between the lines and commit the centre-banks with a lot of aggression.”

His performance means Sterling has now been directly involved in 40 league goals – scoring 24 times and making 16 assists – since the start of last season, and Sunday’s was a timely individual display given that the 23-yearold England forward this week agreed a new five-year contract with the club, worth a reported £300 000 a week.

“It was an incredible performance but still with him and Leroy (Sane) I feel he can improve,” added Guardiola. – AFP