4 Truths: Raheem Sterling and Theo Walcott hit new heights

If there’s one manager who knows exactly what Raheem Sterling is capable of, it’s Brendan Rodgers. The winger became a star under the former Liverpool boss at Anfield, but even Rodgers couldn’t find a way to stop him being the most dangerous player on the pitch at Celtic Park. A very well-taken goal, a string of devilish crosses and several mazy runs had Celtic running in circles at times. His unlucky own goal only came about because he showed the willingness to sprint back and cover for Pablo Zabaleta.

Guardiola has elevated Sterling’s game even further than it was believed possible, permitting him to run at defenders and cause havoc, much like Douglas Costa did under Guardiola at Bayern Munich. Sterling is full of confidence and flying high at the moment, and with Kevin de Bruyne out injured for four weeks, could be City’s most dangerous weapon in the crucial tests ahead.

His career has been interrupted and chequered by injury, but a fully-fit, fully-firing Walcott is an impressive sight - and that's what Arsenal are boasting at the moment. At the age of 27, this is just the time for him to finally and consistently fulfil that precocious potential - and a Champions League brace is the first step towards doing that. Whoever the next England manager is, they may well benefit from the asset of an experienced striker with skill, pace and incision.

It’s a bit of cliché to talk about great European nights under the lights, but this was one of those at Parkhead. The Celtic fans outshone most around Europe as they produced an unbelievable atmosphere in the Glasgow rain to add to what was already a pulsating evening of football. The noise was deafening, but the spectacle of tens of thousands of Celtic fans bouncing in unison was particularly incredible and even the visiting Pep Guardiola couldn’t help but be blown away.

There were doubts about Celtic’s ability to mix it on the European stage after they limped through to the group stage with a shaky qualifying run earlier in the season. But, now that Moussa Dembele and Scott Sinclair have bedded in, Rodgers has got two quality match-winners in his ranks. The French striker was unstoppable at times against City, giving the visiting defence more problems than they’ve had at any point previously this season.

But it was Sinclair who stood out, no doubt looking to make an extra-special impression against the club who turned their back on him. The winger was superb, providing the ability to glide past players that turned Celtic from a solid side into one with a counter-attacking threat that forced the visitors out of their organised shape.