Raheem Sterling’s Manchester City career has been turbulent to say the least, with spells in and out of the team under Pep Guardiola. Time and again, the England international has bounced back from setbacks but his hat-trick against Norwich City over the weekend will have worked wonders for his confidence. He looks like he is enjoying his football again with the Citizens.
It was a game where we saw Sterling at his very best and his first-half strike was a thing of beauty - a delightful curling effort into the far corner which got the ball rolling for his side. His three goals on Saturday saw his tally for the season hit double figures as he became City’s third-highest scorer this term.
His all-time Premier League total rose to 106 too, moving two goals ahead of Chelsea icon Didier Drogba, which just highlights the greatness Sterling has already achieved at the highest level. At 27 years of age, Sterling is entering the peak years of a player’s career and City will want to ensure they can keep hold of their Three Lions star as the hunt for that elusive Champions League title continues.
The Premier League is proving to be a breeze for the reigning champions as they look the most well-equipped of all the title contenders and they sit nine points clear of Liverpool. For the first half of the season, City’s leading man was Portuguese maestro Bernardo Silva, but since his goal contributions have drastically decreased since December, his fellow attackers have stepped up to the plate to help maintain the champions on course for retaining the league title. Kevin De Bruyne, Riyad Mahrez, Phil Foden and now Sterling have all pulled their weight in recent weeks.
On the back of an impressive individual tournament at Euro 2020, Sterling found starting opportunities hard to come by, but as the season has progressed he has made himself undroppable in the eyes of his manager. His performance at Carrow Road will likely set him up for a very good end to the season on a personal level.
Fans will have been pleased with this recent dazzling performance in the hopes that it will lead to a breakthrough in contract negotiations as there has been such uncertainty about the attacker’s future at the Etihad Stadium. His current contract with the club runs until the end of the 2022-23 season and it feels as though the next few months will be crucial in reaching a conclusion to this ongoing saga.
Guardiola is renowned for his tinkering and Sterling has always been a victim of this, but the Spaniard knows the value of Sterling to the team and he has expressed his desire to tie him down to a new contract. He said: "I have known Raheem [Sterling] for six seasons. I know him perfectly well. This season he was outstanding in goals and assists and his contribution to the team.
"I am sure it will be a massive confidence boost for him. During that period there are highs and lows. It’s part of life.
"Teams are not honeymoons. There are problems and we have to solve them. Nobody doubts how important he is. He is showing that. What I want is for all the players to play good.
"If we count the amount of games he [has] played since we are together it is a lot. He was a key player. In the future? I don't know what will happen.
"The club decides. When the club extends contracts, I give my opinion, but the club takes the decision, always.”
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