Raheem Sterling says this battle for the title will go down to the final day of the season.

The 24-year-old scored twice as City made it nine straight league wins, beating Crystal Palace 3-1 to move back the top of the Premier League table, one point above Liverpool who host Chelsea later today.

It’s been a tense and dramatic season already, with top spot continually changing hands, and Sterling says it’ll be like that until the very end.

“100 percent [it’ll go to the last game] the way Liverpool have been playing,” he said. “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.”

READ: Match Report | Palace 1-3 City

GALLERY: City star at Selhusrt Park

Sterling scored two fine goals at Selhurst Park, bringing his total for the season to 21 in all competitions. 

His first was particularly good, a rifled finish into the roof of the net after being set free by Kevin De Bruyne’s superb slide-rule pass.

That goal came just minutes after he spurned an easier chance, putting the ball wide from just a few yards out after fine work by David Silva.

Sterling admits a few years ago a miss like that may have affected him, but says he now carries improved confidence in his finishing ability. 

“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.”