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Arsenal fans may have given up hope of Raheem Sterling coming good at the Emirates Stadium but the Chelsea loanee has been backed to make a significant contribution in the latter stages of the season as the Gunners attempt to chase down Premier League leaders Liverpool.
Sterling had a point to prove when he swapped Chelsea for Arsenal last summer after being banished from first-team training by new Blues boss Enzo Maresca and told to leave if he wanted regular minutes this season.
The ex-England international had been an integral if inconsistent member of the Chelsea squad for the past two seasons, making 81 appearances following his £50m move from Manchester City in 2022.
Effectively forced out of Stamford Bridge, Sterling felt Arsenal was the ‘perfect fit’ but he has struggled to make an impact for Mikel Arteta’s side, starting just three Premier League games despite Bukayo Saka’s injury absence, and even been labelled the ‘flop of the season’.
With just one goal for the club, Sterling has undoubtedly been a disappointment for Arteta and Arsenal fans who expected much more from a player with four Premier League titles and 82 England caps to his name.
But there is still time for Sterling to make an impact for a team who are still fighting for the Premier League and Champions League and former Manchester United winger Lee Sharpe expects him to do just that.
‘We all thought the exact reason why Raheem Sterling was brought in was to cover for Bukayo Saka,’ Shape told Texas Poker.
‘Perhaps he hasn’t had the impact Mikel Arteta thought he would, but I think he’s shown glimpses that he still has quality and something to offer going forward.
‘I’m not sure why he’s not getting picked, maybe it’s something Arteta has seen in training or something else. It’s a shame to see because we know he is capable of producing on the pitch, it’s just a matter of getting that out of him.
‘Arsenal could really do with his help on the right-wing too, considering they’re missing their star man for what looks to be at least another month, so I don’t think this is the last we’ve heard from him this season.’
Arteta may be forced to rely more heavily on Sterling following another potential injury blow suffered by Gabriel Martinelli in Arsenal’s Carabao Cup semi-final defeat to Newcastle United.
Losing 2-0 in both legs means Arsenal’s hopes of winning a domestic cup this season are over following a FA Cup exit at the hands of Manchester United last month.
The Gunners have much work to do if they are to end their 21-year wait for a Premier League trophy, currently six points adrift of Liverpool, who also have a game in hand.
Given Liverpool’s advantage in the title race, Arsenal’s best hope of lifting silverware this season could be at the expense of the best teams in Europe in the Champions League.
Arsenal impressed in the group phase – finishing third with 19 points to move straight into the knockout stages and avoid the play-offs as opposed to the likes of Champions League holders Real Madrid and reigning Premier League champions Manchester City.
For now, Arsenal are taking advantage of a weekend off by travelling to Dubai for some warm-weather training where they will hope to work on some injury issues and find inspiration to take into the remainder of the season.
Arteta’s side return to action on February 15 against a Leicester City team sitting in the relegation zone having lost almost two-thirds of their games this season.
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