Arsenal fans had a lot to say about Raheem Sterling after his display against Girona

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Mikel Arteta seemed to have one eye on Arsenal’s upcoming tie with Manchester City when choosing his side to face Girona in the Champions League.

First and foremost, David Raya wasn’t risked for Arsenal in the 2-1 victory against Girona – the Spaniard travelled to the game but wasn’t named on the bench.

Arteta said Raya was injured, but Arsenal fans will still be confident that he’ll be fit for Sunday.

In addition to Neto playing in net, the likes of Jorginho and Raheem Sterling were also handed rare starts.

And on Sterling’s part, the winger got a chance to show his worth on the left side of Arsenal’s attack, a position that’s arguably been his strongest throughout his career.

For only the second time in an Arsenal shirt, Sterling played 90 minutes, and fans had a lot to say about his performance on X after the game.

Arsenal fans find the positives after Raheem Sterling changes position against Girona

Sterling was undeniably better on the left-wing in comparison to his performances of late for Arteta on the right. 

And whilst most fans were impressed with the Chelsea loanee’s efforts, some were still pretty negative about the loan deal to bring Sterling to the club.

READ MORE: What Spain’s media honestly felt about Arsenal star Ethan Nwaneri after watching him play vs Girona

Starting with the positives, one fan took to X to say: “Sterling WILL improve. This is the best we’ve seen from him in an Arsenal shirt he just needs more minutes. I believe.”

Unfortunately for Sterling, his improved performance was somewhat overshadowed by his missed penalty late on, a moment a lot of fans referred to.

One supporter who was in Girona for the game wrote: “Feel for Sterling as thought he had a decent game on the left. Nwaneri different class, what a left foot on him.”

Of course, it’s impossible to entirely ignore the negative reviews of Sterling’s performance too.

Pedalling a familiar tone, one fan took to X to say: “Sterling might be a worse signing than Willian. You couldn’t make it up.”

Sterling has become a polarising figure at Arsenal through no fault of his own

Interestingly, there was a lot more support for Sterling on social media than usual, with a lot of supporters defending the winger against criticism from ‘Twitter fans’.

Unfortunately for Sterling, he has become such a polarising figure at the Emirates Stadium, and not through any real fault of his own.

The on-loan Chelsea man has always acted so professionally despite the frustrations he must harbour about his lack of minutes and chances so far this season.

Yes, Sterling has looked poor on the right in recent weeks, but he should be credited for his positive attitude and application in games, especially when it now appears that he was being slightly hamstrung on that side of the attack.

Sterling looked a lot better against Girona, and it’s clear that he can offer much more for Arsenal on the left, which is unfortunately a well populated area of the squad.