Ster shores up Blues title bid...
...But Pep claims City are NOT contenders after they edge past Saints Report, ratings, analysis
RAHEEM Sterling admits it has been a difficult time for himself and City – but believes they have taken a step in the right direction with victory over Southampton.
Pep Guardiola’s men beat the Saints 1-0 in Saturday’s Premier League showdown at St Mary’s, with Sterling scoring the only goal of the game in the first half.
After being held to a 1-1 draw by lowly West Bromwich Albion in midweek, it was a welcome win – and clean sheet – for City on the south coast.
The result lifted them up to fifth (temporarily, at least) but they are still eight points adrift of leaders Liverpool, who thrashed Crystal Palace 7-0 earlier in the day.
“(This was a) tough one,” Sterling told Amazon Prime Sport.
“We know how difficult it has been in the past couple of weeks.
“To win games and score goals has been really, really difficult for us, but we knew how important today was and we did enough to get the three points.
“I just feel we had a word with ourselves, we’ve got to dig deep and find something within, because this is not the football club that we’re at.
“We’re a top team and we need to be competing every game.”
Sterling netted his fourth Premier League goal of the season, assisted by Kevin De Bruyne.
“It’s a team sport,” he said.
“Of course, you have to look at yourself as an individual and I’m constantly doing that,” he said.
“I know I haven’t been at the level I should be but it’s a work in progress and the team has made a step in the right way.
“It’s football, things.
“It’s unpredictable and that’s why it’s one of those we love it.
“At the end of the day, it’s unpredictable and not every year you’re going to be at your best.
“Sometimes, you need to dig deep and that’s what makes you a player.”
Sterling added: “It’s a step in the right direction.
“It’s still early days – we just need to keep going, be aggressive and be ambitious.
“That’s it.
“We don’t look towards the title, we just look to win our next games.”
Sterling was also happy to see fans back in the ground – albeit only 2,000 due to the ongoing coronavirus restrictions.
“It’s unbelievable,” he said. “Even though it’s just 2,000, in the warm-up alone, I remember whispering to myself that it feels real again.
“It felt real to hear the noise and see the people again, so it was really nice.”