PEP GUARDIOLA is gradually going ‘Ster Crazy’ at Manchester City.
At this stage of the season, he was expecting one of his deadly strikers Sergio Aguero or Gabriel Jesus to be the club’s top scorer.
Yet Raheem Sterling is currently leading both — and the City boss admits he is pleasantly surprised. Although in typical Guardiola fashion, he still wants many more from the wide man.
Sterling’s well-taken late winner against Champions League rivals Feyenoord in midweek was his 11th of the campaign — equalling his best tally for a whole season.
It also kept him ahead of the likes of ten-goal pair Aguero and Jesus plus fellow winger Leroy Sane.
What a response it has been to the interest from Arsenal in the summer, when a move to the Emirates looked to be on the cards.
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City fans are now starting to see just why their club was willing to pay Liverpool £49million for Sterling back in the summer of 2015.
And why they refused to let the England star, who is still only 22, go to the Gunners as part of a deal for Alexis Sanchez.
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Yet with Guardiola on his case there is not much chance of Sterling taking time out to reflect on what is certain to be his best campaign.
The City chief was asked if he was surprised to see Sterling at the top of the City scoring charts three months in and smiled: “Yes, but it’s good. It’s the best moment of his career, or equal best, and we’re in November, so there’s a lot of time still.
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“He has to focus and try to play better — and the goals will come. At the end of the season we’ll celebrate it then next season he’ll have another target to break. The players can always improve all aspects, that’s why we are here.”
Guardiola regularly moaned his team were not clinical enough last season and relied too heavily on Aguero to get the goals.
During this blistering campaign they are coming from all over the park — with Sane bagging eight, Kevin De
Bruyne notching four and even three-goal defender Nicolas Otamendi all chipping in.
And Sterling’s total has lifted some of the pressure on Jesus and Aguero. Guardiola added: “It’s good the players
know he can score goals like the one against Feyenoord.
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“We have a lot of players who can score and that’s good. You cannot win the title with just one or two scoring. Kevin De Bruyne, Nico Otamendi have got a few — it’s so important.”
City’s start — 11 wins and a draw — has seen them race eight points clear at the top of the Premier League. But they travel across the Pennines to face Huddersfield tomorrow with a warning from Guardiola.
He has told them not to fall into the same trap that saw Manchester United leave west Yorkshire with a 2-1 defeat last month.
Guardiola hopes the fact they needed a replay to beat David Wagner’s Terriers in the FA Cup last season means they will know exactly what awaits them.
He said: “Sometimes the warnings are there to say ‘Be careful’. For big names and clubs, it’s desire.
“I think we know exactly what happens because we were there last season. We were not able to win in the FA Cup and it’s difficult there. We know what will happen, it will be a big atmosphere.”
City ran out 5-1 winners in the replay, but Guardiola is impressed by what Wagner has achieved, taking the
Terriers up through the Championship play-offs then establishing a foothold in mid-table.
He added: “What Wagner has done speaks for itself. They are well organised and intense.”
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