‘Raheem Sterling so bad v Leicester Mikel Arteta holds it against Arsenal flop’
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is holding previous failure against Raheem Sterling after a surprise decision in the starting line-up against PSV Eindhoven, according to Clinton Morrison.
Despite winning 2-0 against Leicester on 15 February, Sterling was slated by Arsenal fans for his poor performance against the relegation-threatened side.
With the Gunners in desperate need of a goal against Nottingham Forest, Arteta waited until the 77th minute to introduce Sterling, with Morrison believing the former Man City man had been written off by his manager.
The England international has struggled since joining the club on loan from Chelsea in the summer, and it seems unlikely the Gunners will look to extend his stay in North London.
Despite struggling off the pitch, Sterling is held in high regard at Arsenal, with his influence on Ethan Nwaneri and Bukayo Saka seen as a major positive.
Raheem Sterling a better option up-front than Mikel Marino
With the Premier League title seemingly destined to be won by Liverpool, Arsenal will inevitably turn their search for silverware to the Champions League.
Against PSV Eindhoven in their first knockout game of the new format introduced by UEFA this season, Arteta elected to use Mikel Merino as a “false nine” over Sterling, which former Crystal Palace man, Morrison, found puzzling and believes Sterling has a mark against his name thanks to the Leicester game.
Speaking on Sky Sports Soccer Special, the former striker offered his verdict on the matter, by saying (7.08pm): “No I don’t think he is a better option but Arteta must see something different, there we’re not all seeing. We’re not the manager are we but we can have our opinion and I think Raheem Sterling would be a better option than Merino.
“That’s a midfielder and you’re trying to tell him to play as a number nine? It’s totally different being a centre-midfielder where he plays to then come and play as that false number nine.
| 2024/25 Premier League stats | Sterling |
| Appearances | 12 |
| Starts | 4 |
| Goals | 0 |
| Assists | 1 |
| Minutes | 307 |
“Arteta sees something different. I feel, basically, Raheem Sterling had such a bad game against Leicester he’s held that against him.
“The other day they were losing to West Ham and he brought him on for six minutes, the only attacking option he had on the bench, and brought him on the for the last six minutes. What does that say to Raheem Sterling?
“He’s short of confidence already, we haven’t got no strikers, no wide men available, and when we don’t have them available we’re playing a centre midfielder through the middle.
“I tell you what, if I was a centre forward, which I used to me, I’d be knocking on the manager’s door saying ‘just give me that opportunity’.”
The makeshift striker capitalised on his opportunity by scoring a scrappy goal in the 35th minute to give Arsenal a 3-0 lead over PSV.
Raheem Sterling’s struggles indicative of Mikel Arteta’s poor squad management
Football Insider Verdict
With Kai Havertz out for the season, and Gabriel Jesus and Bukayo Saka also out for the rest of the campaign, Arteta has the support of some Arsenal fans, believing him to be unfortunate due to the injuries suffered to key players.
However, there is an argument to be made that those injuries are, in part, down to poor squad management from the Spaniard.
Despite being only 23-years-old, Saka has appeared 250 times for his boyhood club already, and Arsenal have failed to find a suitable alternative to rotate the winger with, since his breakthrough in 2019.
Emile Smith-Rowe and Eddie Nketiah both left the club in the summer, whilst Fabio Vieira joined Porto on-loan, and Reiss Nelson departed for Fulham for the season.
Each of those players have shown their talent this season, but were forced to move on as the Spaniard failed to effectively use them as squad players.
The only attacker brought in was Sterling, who has looked a shell of the former star he once was, and as such, Arsenal’s attacking stars are now expected to play more minutes than ever.