Friday 20 November 2015 13:20, UK
Stuart Pearce says Joe Hart is 'critical' to Manchester City's chances of regaining the Premier League title this season.
The England goalkeeper has missed just one league match this campaign - the 4-1 defeat at White Hart Lane - and has chalked up seven clean sheets in 11 appearances.
His superb form has not gone unnoticed by former City boss Pearce, who was keen to sing his praises on Sky Sports Now, both as a player and an individual.
"I think he's critical," he said. "When he's one-on-one he's so great, he spreads himself so well.
"England have been very fortunate because I think the best two goalkeepers in the country this season have been Hart and Jack Butland, so they've got two fantastic goalkeepers going head-to-head at international level.
"But Hart, in the games he's played for City, you can see the experience he's got and the kid he is as well. He's very level-headed, feet firmly on the ground, and he plays with a smile on his face which is always nice to see."
Manchester City face Liverpool on Saturday, live on Sky Sports 1, and former City defender Steve Howey expects Raheem Sterling to continue the fine form he has shown since his big-money summer move from Anfield.
Speaking alongside Pearce on Sky Sports Now, he said: "If Aguero is playing or Silva, then you would be looking at those as well, but Sterling has actually started his Manchester City career quite well,
"I still think he can be a bit more deadly when it comes to finishing, though his stats at Manchester City at this stage of the season are a lot better than they were at Liverpool. He's getting in good areas, he's getting in the six-yard box, and he is getting some goals."
