Pep Guardiola claims Raheem Sterling can reach yet another level at the club and wants his other players to improve as well. Manchester City chief Pep Guardiola claims Raheem Sterling can take another step up in his performances despite the fact that he is now seen as one of the best players in the country and opened his account for the season with a hat-trick at West Ham.
Despite the fact that Sterling is now firmly established as one of the Premier League’s most influential players after two outstanding seasons for Manchester City, Guardiola is still expecting more of the 24-year-old.
Sterling’s standing in the game could not be higher and he has dragged himself from a figure of ridicule in an England shirt to one of the mainstays in Gareth Southgate’s Three Lions side and a firm fans’ favourite.
Despite this rise in stature and his elevation to one of England’s star players, Guardiola is still expecting more from him and he knows he will need it if City are to defend their Premier League crown and make it three titles on the trot. He will also be pushing for every piece of silverware on the domestic front and try to conquer Europe as well so, even after his opening day treble against West Ham, Guardiola is looking for more.
Asked if Sterling is now the best player in the competition, the city boss said: “There are many, he is one of them. “I didn’t watch all the other games but he’s playing so good from the beginning, in terms of being clinical, but we want more. “Everybody wants more, he wants more. It was just the first game of the Premier League season.”
Champions City looked comfortable as they opened their latest title defence with the win at the London Stadium last weekend but things will get distinctly harder this Saturday as they take on Tottenham at the Etihad Stadium.
As well as Liverpool, Spurs are thought to be one of the main title contenders this term and have a good recent record against Guardiola’s side having beaten City in last season’s Champions League quarter-finals en route to the final.
Guardiola does not need telling how good the opposistion is, “I spoke many times about how good Tottenham are. It’s the second best team in Europe. For me that’s enough.”
Guardiola has close to a fully-fit squad for the game and has warned that all players will need to be at their best to earn a place in the side.
