Leroy Sane convinces Pep Guardiola why Raheem Sterling must remain Man City contract priority

If Raheem Sterling has one wish when the fixtures come out for next season, it will probably be that Manchester United’s visit to the Etihad Stadium does not come in the first week of March.

Twelve months ago, Sterling turned in a disappointing display, culminating in a wretched late miss as Manchester City lost 2-0 to their crosstown rivals.

He was benched for the following game against Southampton and then left out of the matchday squad to face Fulham altogether amid reports of a row between himself and Pep Guardiola - something both men denied.

Sterling then played the remainder of the season as a backup option, with a recall for the Champions League final not exactly amounting to the blessing it looked like on a strange teamsheet.

The England forward’s City career was in a rut that even his star turn at Euro 2020 couldn't remedy. By the November international break, he had a solitary Premier League goal in 2021/22.

Then everything clicked, with a goal-of-the-season contender against Everton and an equaliser in the 2-1 win over Paris Saint-Germain kicking off a hot streak.

Sterling kept his cool from the penalty spot to secure a 1-0 win over Wolves and score his 100th Premier League goal. His 13 in all competitions, including a hat-trick in the 4-0 win at Norwich City, put him second behind Riyad Mahrez for the Blues this season.

It isn’t all about goals with Raheem - his tone-setting displays against Aston Villa and Chelsea are among the best any City player has produced this term, but his teammates made the decisive contributions.

Even so, a sumptuous strike to cap the 5-0 Champions League win over Sporting Lisbon was his 127th for City, moving him into the club’s all-time top 10 goalscorers.

Guardiola then saw