Sterling insistent Manchester City resurgence has not been 'all sunny days' after Arsenal victory

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The England striker was on point to hand Pep Guardiola's side victory over the Gunners but says that their remarkable run has not been easily achieved

Raheem Sterling has paid tribute to his Manchester City team-mates after they extended their unbeaten streak against Arsenal on Sunday, adding that their resurgence has not been "all sunny days" despite their impressive form.

The England striker was on point inside the opening two minutes at the Emirates Stadium with an early header, nudging home the only goal of the game to further help Pep Guardiola's side consolidate their hold on the Premier League summit against former disciple Mikel Arteta and the Gunners.

It continues a remarkable run of form that has seen City - apparently out of the title race in late November after defeat to Tottenham - put themselves in the driving seat for a remarkable continental quadruple, and Sterling has now hailed their collective commitment to eking out essential victories.

"We knew it was a difficult start to the season," the attacker told BBC Sport's Match of the Day. "We knew we just needed to give our all.

"It wasn’t all sunny days. We’ve had to grind out lots of 1-0 wins throughout the season and it’s another one here today. We just had to keep grinding out those wins and now we’re in a better position for it."

The Three Lions star further hailed Arsenal, who proved a cagey opponent, telling BBC Radio 5 Live: "They’re a good team.

"You can see how they play under Mikel [Arteta] and we struggled at times, but we kept our composure and ground out a result."

City's win ensures a 10-point gap remains between them and second place in the Premier League, with both Leicester City and Manchester United trailing them as the season enters its final third.

Guardiola's side remain firmly on course to complete a clean sweep of major domestic honours, while a Champions League last-16 first leg clash against Borussia Monchengladback is next on their agenda in Budapest this week.

Next month presents a FA Cup quarter-final clash with another in-form side in the shape of Everton, while April's Carabao Cup final against Tottenham will offer a first chance to claim silverware this season.

2021-02-21 23:00:04

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