Two more goals for Raheem Sterling

I have heard it many times before and I’m sure I’ll continue to hear it, but certain people saying “we’ve had it easy recently” really does make my blood boil. There is a difference people in that we actually make it look easy, because some of the games we’ve had recently would definitely be tricky games for other “top teams”.

I heard it again before Sunday’s match against Palace, people must forget that they’ve already beaten us this season as well as nearly beating Liverpool at Anfield in January. Nearly doesn’t count as we know, but before kick off they were absolutely more than capable of beating us once again. I was confident they wouldn’t though, purely because we’re in good form and more so because they’d actually beaten us already.

Thankfully I was right and in the end it was a straightforward victory but that is down to how we played and how Pep has got us playing. It had nothing to do with Palace being an easy fixture or a pushover. Of course Luka Milivojevic certainly had a few of us sweating towards the end though didn’t he after curling in a brilliant free-kick to make it 2-1 with ten minutes to go.

City didn’t panic though, we could have done, just like teams have done at Selhurst Park in the past and you all know who I’m talking about. Their goal went in, the Palace players and fans got excited, as they should, thinking that they could now get a draw out of the game.

Our lads had other ideas though and through composure they got hold of the ball and just didn’t allow Palace to play with at all. It infuriated them and their fans, but that is the difference I’m talking about and once we’d taken the sting out of their attack. We sprung ourselves and sealed the victory when Jesus converted De Bruyne’s pass. Although the offside flag could and should have gone up but it didn’t. 3-1 City. Thank you very much.

“he’s been incredible”

Raheem Sterling was outstanding again and he’s in a brilliant run of goal scoring form at the moment, but surely the key to our season finishing so successfully is De Bruyne. It’s difficult to turn around and say we’ve missed him this season, we of course have, but we are where we are still without him. Now though, he’s back and looks raring to go with one goal against Cardiff the other week and now two assists against Palace.

Guardiola agrees about De Bruyne too as after the game he said:

“The last three or four games he’s played, he’s been incredible”

“We’d missed him a lot. He has that ability and vision that most human beings do not have. He is fresh mentally and in his legs, too.”

Does that mean De Bruyne will get the nod to start against Spurs on Wednesday then? I think he will and if Fernandinho is back from his injury as well then we have every chance of overturning our 1-0 deficit to head through to the Champions League semi-finals.