Raheem Sterling could become the best player in the world, according to his Manchester City team-mate Ilkay Gundogan.

The England forward has been in dazzling form this season, with 17 goals and 11 assists for club and country already.

He followed up a midweek hat-trick in the Champions League with the crucial opening goal of City’s 3-0 victory over Aston Villa on Saturday.

And Gundogan, who also scored against the Villans, believes Sterling is already among the best attackers on the planet and is growing even better every week. “He is among the five best attacking players in the world, definitely,” the Germany international said.

“Just now it’s about consistency but he has shown in the last 12 to 18 months that he is able to be that consistent.

“If he can continue like that, he can be on the top.”

Sterling was also singled out for praise by City boss Pep Guardiola, who said he set the tempo in City's victory over Villa.

And Gundogan agreed that he is setting an incredibly high standard.

“He made a big step forward - not really in training, because he was always hard-working and one of the best in training sessions,” he added. “But the way he is on matchday, with his mentality and his aggression - both with and without the ball.

“He’s crucial for us, you need this type of player, a game-changing player, and he is probably the one player who can change everything for us.