MANCHESTER: Raheem Sterling's latest late goal kept Manchester City well in front at the top of the Premier League with a 2-1 win at home to Southampton on Wednesday. It had looked as if what became City's 12th successive league victory would end in a draw after Southampton's Oriol Romeu cancelled out a goal scored by Kevin De Bruyne early in the second half. But for the third match in a row Sterling grabbed a late goal - but this was later and arguably better than the others. In the 96th minute, De Bruyne's short pass found Sterling, who curled a brilliant shot into the top right-hand corner of the goal from the edge of the area -- following similar late winners against Feyenoord and Huddersfield in the past week. The goal sparked incredible scenes of celebration on the Etihad Stadium pitch, with City manager Pep Guardiola sprinting into the middle of the field and, after the final whistle seconds later, engaging in an angry exchange of words with Southampton's Nathan Redmond. Victory left City eight points in front of second-placed Manchester United after 14 matches of the season. City had responded impressively after a lacklustre first half, one which presumably would have displeased the demanding Guardiola. Within 80 seconds of the restart, City were ahead from a De Bruyne free-kick, wide on the left, which was so brilliantly struck it appeared to evade all other attempts to get a touch. City, however, were stunned 15 minutes from time when Fabian Delph failed to deal with Ryan Bertrand's centre and substitute Sofiane Boufal pulled the ball back for Romeu to convert clinically from 10 yards. For all their dominance in practically every game so far this season, City could easily have found themselves a goal down to Mauricio Pellegrino's side in what was, by their standards, a poor first half.