Ilkay: Sterling is now worth his weight in gold for Blues
RAHEEM Sterling has won more points for his team than any other player in the Premier League this season.
And that means he is a long way down the road from the man who, in Pep Guardiola’s debut season, sometimes looked like he was heading down a dead-end street, both on the pitch and in terms of his Blues career.
His brilliant winning goal against Southampton perfectly summed up the maturity he has found in and around the box.
Last season, he would have snatched at a shot, it would have bounced off a defender’s shin and the game would have ended 1-1.
This time he had the presence of mind to dink a pass to Kevin de Bruyne and then take up a position with a clearer sight of goal, even if it was merely a glimpse of the far, top corner.
Then he had the quality of finish to hit that small patch of net, when last season – and at times this – he hasn’t. So what has changed? Guardiola keeps being given the credit for the transformation of the England winger, but Sterling himself should get the plaudits, for listening to his manager and then putting his advice into effect.
Ilkay Gundogan says Sterling has matured on the field and off it. “Before something changes on the field there always has to be a change in your head,” said the Germany international.
“He definitely looks more grown up than last year, more clinical than last year and he just takes so many right decisions at the moment.
“It’s also about the way he does the easy things, the control, putting the ball exactly where he has the best chance to shoot it – all these easy things last year he was a little bit more nervous with.
“Now he is just calm and focussed and does a lot of things the right way, and he is very important for us.”
De Bruyne has been lauded as the key man for the Blues this season, but Gundogan says that – after three late winners in a week against Feyenoord, Huddersfield and Southampton – that may have changed.
“At the moment it feels like he is the main man for us, by scoring these late winners,” he said.
“It is really important and he is having a great season.
“But he knows he has had to work really hard for this and still needs to work very hard.
“But if you look at his numbers, it shows how important he is for us.
“Hopefully he can keep going like that and can be important in the coming games – we are just happy to have him.”