Raheem Sterling took his tally to 22 goals in all competitions on Saturday as Manchester City bounced back with a 3-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur.

It’s easily been the best season of Sterling’s career and he is now among those expected to lead England at the World Cup in Russia.

Pep Guardiola has helped to turn the 23-year-old into a consistent performer, and yet there’s still clearly room for improvement.

Sterling was wasteful in front of goal against Manchester United last weekend and spurned some chances to add to his tally against Tottenham, too.

With 17 of his goals coming in the Premier League, Sterling has been great. But even his manager is aware that his finishing remains erratic.

“He has to improve that,” Guardiola said of the former Liverpool player’s finishing. “He has a lot of chances and he has to improve his average."

Gary Neville heaped praise on Sterling after Saturday’s match, pointing out the various areas in which the England international has improved.

Neville on Sterling's improvement

Yet Neville’s comments came with a reality check: there is another level to go before Sterling can be considered in the same level as a player like Eden Hazard.

“He’s become fantastic this season,” Neville said on The Gary Neville Podcast after City’s 3-1 win at Wembley Stadium.

“His positions on the pitch that he’s taking up are far more intelligent, he’s got his body shape far better to receive the ball, his positions when the ball is on the opposite side of the pitch are so much better to get in at the back post.

“His understanding of players around him, when to pass and how to find them is better. We’re now talking about a player who’s at a high level."

Then the reality check

Neville continued: “But when a player gets to a high level, you’re then thinking, ‘ok, there’s that next level to go.’

“You see that, let’s say a Hazard, who I’d say is a step above Raheem Sterling at this moment in time, because he retains the ball better and he makes less mistakes on the ball, and then you’re thinking, ‘right, is that next jump there?’

“There were times today where he was erratic with his finishing, he was erratic with his touch.

“The striking of the ball is something he does need to work on. He can strike a ball but it’s that composure, concentration… it’s a little bit erratic, that’s the word that I would use but he’s getting less erratic and he’s getting more consistent.

“At the end of this season he’s got a World Cup, but then how does he have those three weeks rest?

“He will only have three to four weeks maximum, and he’s got to come back and think, ‘that is not the top of the mountain, that is just part way up the mountain. I’ve got a long way to go.’”

Under Guardiola, Sterling will be fully aware that he can’t rest on his laurels.