The City boss ran on the pitch after Sterling had curled home a 95th minute winner with virtually the last kick of the game. 

Then Guardiola ran around like a whirling dervish, pumping the air repeatedly before exchanging words with Saints winger Nathan Redmond as he appeared to completely lose the plot.

But his celebrations were understandable such was the drama of a victory that restored City’s eight-point advantage over neighbours United. 

Southampton looked as if they would become the first team since Everton back on August 21 to take a point off City until Sterling struck his third late winner in the space of eight days. 

He scored in the 88th minute against Feynoord, the 84th at Huddersfield while this goal cam in the fifth and final minute of added time with Saints just having time to kick-off before the final whistle blew. 

It was Sterling’s 13th goal of the season and however many he gets this season he is unlikely to score a more important one.

He said: “They made it really difficult for us but we have a feeling in the dressing room that nobody wants to drop points.

“We know that the teams behind us are pushing hard, United were brilliant [at Watford] last night.

“The only records we are interested in are three points in the next game. West Ham.”

Guardiola said: “It was an astonishing end to the game. It means a lot. They had 10 guys in the box, it was so complicated to attack them.

“They had chances in the first half, all the teams are better than us at set-pieces. They are stronger than us but we kept patient. At the end our momentum kept going, Raheem scores a fantastic goal.

“What impresses the most is the heart with which they play. What happened in the locker room was amazing. You have to enjoy these situations, you never know what will happen in the future. We want to win the league but you have to celebrate when you score in the last breath like that. 

“I was telling Nathan Redmond how good he is at the end. Southampton have some super talented players, Redmond is so good one against one. But they didn’t want to play, they were time wasting from the ninth minute. I just wanted them to play.”

The celebrations by Guardiola and his coaching staff were reminiscent of the way Sir Alex Ferguson and his assistant Brian Kidd had celebrated after Steve Bruce’s famous added time winner against Sheffield Wednesday in the title run-in back in 1992-93.

United went on to win their first championship for 26 years that season and it is hard to see anyone stopping City. Even when they are not at their best theyare still managing to win games. 

Their 40-point total after just 14 games is the best since Liverpool picked up 38 from the same number of games at the start of the 1990-91 season.

And the win restores their eight-point lead over United with the first Manchester derby of the season looming in 11 days time. City might even be further ahead before the Old Trafford clash because United face a difficlut trip to in-form Arsenal on Saturday, 24 hours before City face West Ham at home.

Oriol Romeu’s 75th-minute goal looked as if it had earned Southampton an unlikely point at the Etihad for the second season running. He crashed a shot high into the roof of the net after substiturte Sofiane Boufal had cut the ball back to him.

It stunned City who looked as if they would be left to rue a series of missed chances and some inspired goalkeeping by Fraser Forster.

Romeu’s goal cancelled out Kevin De Bruyne’s opener for City that had been deflected in by City target Virgil Van Dijk two minutes after the break.

At first the goal was given to Nicolas Otamendi, then Van Dijk before the Premier League gave it to De Bruyne.

City did not care who’s goal it was at that point – just that they had broken the deadlock after a frustrating first half when Saints had their moments with Wesley Hoedt thumping a header against the bar and Maya Yoshida missing a sitter. 

But after De Bruyne’s goal the expected floodgates did not open and City lived on their nerves until that man Sterling came up with yet another late, late show.