Why Chelsea appreciate true value of Sterling

Pep Guardiola stood in a state of shock on the touchline as he stared into the abyss. 

Trailing Aston Villa in the 56th minute, the prospect of a fourth Premier League title in five seasons was seemingly evaporating before his eyes.

An enthralling race for supremacy with Liverpool had its unexpected twist when the Manchester City manager turned to his bench and summoned Raheem Sterling.

City had lacked a cutting edge, but the Catalan knew exactly who to turn to in his hour of need.

Sterling is a player often maligned for his finishing, but his role in turning around City's fortunes during their dramatic final-day comeback in May cannot be underplayed.

City would fall further behind before Sterling got to work.

He fronted up Lucas Digne, using Gabriel Jesus as a decoy to glide past the full-back from a standing start to reach the byline. There was still much to do, but the winger stood up a pinpoint cross to dissect the three remaining Villa defenders and plant the ball just over the head of Matty Cash. Ilkay Gundogan just had to meet it to spark the fightback.

It was the first of three goals in five minutes which secured the title.

Guardiola has always appreciated the value of Sterling, whose impact was a defiant reminder of his importance. Since the manager's appointment at the start of the 2016/17 season, no player has made more Premier League appearances for City than Sterling's 194. No City player has scored more than his 85 goals.

Speaking in February after the winger scored a hat-trick in a 4-0 win over Norwich, Guardiola said: "I have known Raheem for six seasons. I know him perfectly well. This season he was outstanding in goals and assists and his contribution to the team.

"During that period there are highs