There was a time in Raheem Sterling’s career when he didn’t need to overthink.
Cutting in from the left to slide home at the back post following a Riyad Mahrez pass across the six-yard box became a perpetual – and seemingly unstoppable – feature of Manchester City’s thrilling attacking repertoire.
Sterling would often repay the favour to his Algerian colleague. Like clockwork. We’d see Sterling score the same goal or supply the same assist week after week after week.
There was more to his game, of course. Just ask Pep Guardiola. There was freedom and buoyancy to Sterling that captured the imagination. But recently that muscle memory has escaped him.
The Sterling who’d emerged as one of European football’s most prominent attacking talents – don’t forget that in 2019 he had an astonishing 53 goals and assists for City, behind onlyLionel Messi (55) – is now a shadow of his former self.
The sight of Sterling’s pained expression as he trudged off the field following his 61st-minute substitution in Wednesday night’s north London derby was a hard watch.
Raheem Sterling and Riyad Mahrez were once two prongs of a devastating Man City attack
Under Pep Guardiola the English forward was one of the most lethal forwards in the game
As such, seeing him trudging off on Wednesday night on 61 minutes was a difficult watch
Did I? Should I? What if? You could see Sterling’s brain working overtime during what was a ineffective hour for the attacker in what was unquestionably his biggest night in an Arsenal shirt so far.
And therein lies the problem for Sterling, as he tries to bounce back in north London after being pushed out by Chelsea last summer. Overthinking on a football pitch is a vibe killer. That effervescent aura we’d come to associate with the 30-year-old has deserted him during his loan stint at the Emirates Stadium.
A player, who those behind the scenes at Arsenal will tell you, is suffering from a crisis of confidence which is, perhaps, understandable given the off-field attention he receives. Everyone has an opinion on Sterling, and when those judgements are negative it can be hard to avoid.
Not that Mikel Arteta is writing him off just yet. With Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Jesus out with long-term injuries, Arsenal need Sterling more than ever. They are down to just four fit forwards, alongside Kai Havertz, Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli, and are still – just about – in three competitions.
Arteta was full of praise for Sterling’s showing after coming on as a 40th-minute substitute in place of Jesus in Sunday’s FA Cup third round loss to Manchester United, when the Brazilian suffered the ACL injury that will rule him out for up to a year.
Even in his disappointing showing against Tottenham on Wednesday night, Sterling won more duels and made more tackles than any player on the pitch during the opening 45 minutes. Those are the sort of numbers that go unnoticed, but the sort Arteta certainly appreciates.
Yet, defensive discipline was not what Sterling was signed for and you sense the Emirates crowd want more from the forward. That’s understandable. We remember the player he was; the achievements during seven trophy-laden years at the Etihad.
Of course, his career at City wasn’t always a bed of roses. His start under Guardiola saw him linked with a move away during the opening months of the Spaniard’s reign.
Mikel Arteta was full of praise for Sterling’s involvement in the FA Cup defeat at the weekend
Sterling is looking to bounce back in north London having been sent out on loan by Chelsea
During England’s disastrous Euro 2016 campaign, Sterling labelled himself the ‘hated one’ after criticism over his performances in France during the tournament.
Sterling is used to being in the line of fire, but by and large his performances and numbers have kept him from harms reach. External critiques and pressure is something Sterling has, historically, fought hard to cope with.
Some players are able to shut themselves away from social media and the world of 24 hour news. But Sterling isn’t cut from that cloth. With that in mind, it is likely the criticisms aimed in his direction in recent weeks won’t have gone unnoticed.
There is, of course, an acknowledgement that his loan move across London from Chelsea has not developed in the manner he’d have wanted. Sterling will accept that. But, equally, Arteta would be the first to acknowledge that the circumstances of an injury-disrupted season have worked against Sterling.
And when he did get a chance, he had to be hooked in the 30th minute of only his second Premier League start for the club, when Arteta had to switch tack following William Saliba’s sending-off at Bournemouth on October 19.
Only last month the Arsenal manager said: ‘It’s been tough and very difficult for me as well to accept that I haven’t given him more. When he hasn’t started the games, 90 per cent of the subs that I make is related to saving minutes or because of injuries or avoiding injuries. It’s not tactical reasons.
‘I would like him to play much more as I think he can impact the team in a very good way. He’s very good in the dressing room and is absolutely desperate to play. Hopefully we can change it.’
Finding rhythm and match fitness are the most pertinent factors behind Sterling’s struggles. He has only made seven appearances in the league so far – four of those from the substitutes bench – and only 13 in all, with his solitary Arsenal goal coming in a 5-1 League Cup victory against Bolton. These are hardly ideal conditions for player who is bedding into a new team.
Arteta has spoken about the difficulties he has faced in not giving regular minutes to Sterling
Sterling has been restricted to 13 matches – hardly optimal conditions to bed in to a new side
Those formidable attacking combinations and almost telepathic understandings he’d developed with team-mates at City out of reach due to his lack of game time. A knee injury suffered last month hasn’t helped, either.
Yet there’s still time to change the narrative. Speak to those at the club’s training HQ, they’ll describe a player who has maintained his professionalism despite the inconsistencies.
Sitting on the bench for someone of Sterling’s gravitas isn’t easy, but by all accounts he has been respectful and encouraging of those ahead of him in the pecking order.
With Arsenal looking to strengthen in forward areas ahead of next season, it appears likely that his time in north London will come to an end in the summer, while Chelsea have made clear he is not part of their plans.
Sterling wants to play at the highest level for as long as he possibly can. His obsession during this campaign to prove his worth will serve to ensure he has the opportunities to do fulfil those ambitions heading into next season.
Considering his body of work it would be a risk to bet against Sterling. His achievements speak for themselves. The trophies, the goals, the assists, 82 England caps and a starring role in the run to the Euro 2020 final. He deserves respect.
But the past counts for very little, Sterling doesn’t need reminding of that. Can he prove people wrong… again?