Southgate says Sterling now has head for scoring
GARETH Southgate believes Raheem Sterling is finally ready to fulfil his potential for England after conquering a ‘psychological barrier’ with his two goals in the victory over Spain.
The 23-year-old forward excelled as he scored twice to inspire last month’s impressive 3-2 victory, and since then has scored three in five for City, who last week awarded him a new contract until 2023.
Following four in 11 for club and country before then, the only consistent criticism – his previous lack of goals – appears to have been convincingly overcome.
Southgate had long had unwavering faith in a player who had divided opinion throughout his three years without a goal in international football, and he is confident that in the coming fixtures with USA and Croatia perhaps his finest talent will truly thrive.
“That (against Spain) was a big psychological barrier overcome and he has continued that form with his club over the last few weeks,” said the England manager.
“We are really looking forward to seeing him again next week.
“I am really pleased for him because he is in outstanding form. He had an outstanding performance against Southampton. We have got huge belief in him and that belief in his own game is coming now.
“We have been happy with his performances for a long time and the missing piece has been the goals. You can see what it meant to him in Seville to get the goals which he has been overdue with us. In any sport you’re at your best when you’re playing without thinking too much and that’s what he did.” PEP Guardiola used the half-time break to convince his City players they could win the derby.
The champions led 1-0 at the break thanks to David Silva’s early goal but the rest of the half did not follow as the opening minutes had suggested it would, with United coming into the game.
From the touchline, Guardiola felt his side were playing the occasion rather than the team in front of them. After some words at the interval, he got the reaction he wanted, both at the start of the second half and after conceding. THIS time, there was no looking back.
Up 2-0 in April against the same opposition, City suffered the excruciating consequences of freezing just as history was ushering them to its door.
A team with its eyes on too many prizes looked away and found itself unable to respond.
“The first half was not so good. We played like we didn’t want to lose the ball and didn’t have the intention to attack,” he said. “When I watched my players, I felt we felt the pressure because they want to do well in the derby.
“That’s normal. Despite that, the first 15 minutes was so good but after that we didn’t press well and they could press more than usual.
“We spoke at half-time that we needed to play better than we did in the first half to win the game and we were much better.
“In the first half, five minutes after the goal we didn’t play like we
Seven months on and a familiar sense of shock reverberated around the Etihad as Anthony Martial halved the deficit from the penalty spot.
With half an hour to play, surely the unthinkable wasn’t about to happen again?
That it did not – with City instead securing a 3-1 win thanks to Ilkay Gundogan’s goal – shows just how much better this Centurions team normally do. It was difficult, they defended so deep, they are so aggressive, they win duels, they follow man-to-man in the middle – it is not easy to find the spaces against them.
“The most satisfying thing was that after 2-1 we reacted well. We were stable, we didn’t concede chances and step by step we regained our game again and after the third goal it was easier.”
The Blues boss also praised the way Raheem Sterling kept the ball at the end of City’s win.
The 23-year-old, who signed a new contract with City on Friday, upset Ashley Young and Juan Mata with some showboating as the champions closed the game out.
His manager admitted that such skills were avoidable but was pleased with the way City refused to give up the ball in the final moments of the game.
“I liked it a lot when he did that,” said Guardiola.
“The best way to defend the result is to keep the ball and he did it, with Leroy [Sane] and Phil [Foden]. In that situation with two or three minutes left, they controlled it absolutely. It’s the best way because if you are defending, anything can happen.
“He make some movement with have become. You can use goals scored, shots on target, shots against and pretty much every conceivable metric to record improvement on last season, but the last half-hour of this derby is just as valuable as evidence.
Where United’s comeback sent them into a panic last time out, here Guardiola’s side kept their heads, passed their way back into control of the game, and picked up the three the legs and can avoid it but he’s young. He’s going to improve.”
City made two changes from the side that beat Shakhtar Donetsk 6-0 in the Champions League on Wednesday, with Sergio Aguero and Benjamin Mendy returning to the starting XI.
Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko dropped out, while Riyad Mahrez was preferred to Leroy Sane once again in a big game.
John Stones and Aymeric Laporte were picked in central defence as their partnership goes from strength to strength this season.
Ilkay Gundogan was named on the bench again after returning from injury, and Guardiola brushed off suggestions that there were any forced changes, reiterating his long-held belief that his whole squad play a key role in any success City have.
When asked why Mahrez had been chosen over Sane, Guardiola said: “No, I decided today.
“We have a deeper squad. I decide for the qualities, for many reasons.
“If I had decided to play with other players, with Gundo, with the central defenders another one, for Leroy it would have been the same.” points. If the result was deserved, the scoreline did not accurately reflect the gulf between the teams.
From the first whistle, when Bernardo Silva ghosted in behind the United midfield to shoot narrowly wide, City’s midfield trio looked quicker and smarter than their taller, more physical counterparts.
It was a clear clash of styles, and City’s was rewarded after just 12 minutes when Raheem Sterling bent