Manchester City attacker Raheem Sterling felt the manner of their 2-0 win against Brentford sent a signal to their nearest rivals.

Sterling had a hand in both goals as the leaders wore down the spirited Bees at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday to claim an ultimately comfortable win.

“All we can do is keep playing, keep trying to win game by game, and that's another step in the right direction," said Sterling.

“This was a difficult one against a tough team to break down but we got the three points we needed in the end.

“The game at their place was difficult and they came here and did the exact same thing, but we just needed to keep playing and the chances would come."