Title race will go to the wire, says Sterling

LONDON: The English Premier League title race will go to the wire said Manchester City's Raheem Sterling after he scored a double in his side's 3-1 win over Crystal Palace on Sunday.

The England international's brace and a late goal by Gabriel Jesus sent defending champions City back to the top to lead Liverpool by a point.

Liverpool -- who have yet to win a Premier League title since its inception -- can go back to the summit if they beat Chelsea later on Sunday.

"100 percent the way Liverpool have been playing," Sterling told the BBC when asked about the title race going to the end.

"It will go down to the wire. I don't see us slowing down now. Liverpool have a great squad, great self-belief, but so do we."

City manager Pep Guardiola said battling for a quintuple -- he counts the lightly-regarded Community Shield which they won at the outset of the season and have also won the League Cup -- he could feel the pressure building on achieving that historic feat.

"This pressure is incredible. We are fighting to be champions back to back," the Spaniard told Sky Sports.

"In two seasons we've got 83 points with five games left. We've won two titles (Community Shield) and now it's the FA Cup final."

Sterling said a glaring early miss had not upset him unduly.

"When I was younger you always want to score your first opportunity and sometimes it doesn't happen like that," he said.

"You don't beat yourself up. There's 80 minutes left, you just have to be ready for the next opportunity.

"That's the mentality, just keep going and the chance will come."

Sterling, though, was not certain he would watch his former side Liverpool's match at home to Chelsea.

"I'm hungry. I need to eat food -- will see how it goes."