Mikel Arteta lays out one clear demand to Raheem Sterling despite scoring first Arsenal goal

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Raheem Sterling opened his account for Arsenal with a goal and an assist against Bolton Wanderers in the EFL Cup.

The Gunners signed the experienced England international from Chelsea on a season-long loan deal on transfer deadline day in August.

Sterling was given a couple of opportunities off the bench, but it was against Bolton at the Emirates that he earned his first-ever start for the club.

The 29-year-old took his opportunity and proved to the world that he’s still capable of producing the goods at the top level.

Mikel Arteta lays out a demand to Raheem Sterling after Arsenal beat Bolton

Sterling had a slow start to the game against Bolton on Wednesday night.

The Englishman started on the left wing in place of Gabriel Martinelli, and it took him a while to get going. However, once he did, he looked incredible.

The Chelsea loanee used his pace to get on the end of a brilliant pass from Myles Lewis-Skelly and then provided a fantastic assist for Ethan Nwaneri to score.

Then, in the second half, Sterling got on the end of a loose ball inside the box and tapped it over the line from almost point-blank range.

A goal and an assist in his first-ever start for Arsenal is brilliant, and Mikel Arteta was mostly happy with his performance on Wednesday night.

However, the Gunners boss still believes Sterling isn’t quite at the physical level that he and the Arsenal coaching staff demand from their players. That’s the next step for him.

Arteta told Arsenal.com: “He was great. I think he’s started to show glimpses of what he can do, especially in attacking moments.

“Physically, he needs to get there to the level that we require, but I think it was a massive step today.”

READ MORE: Arsenal fans all have a lot to say about Raheem Sterling after he made his full debut vs Bolton

Sterling will make one Arsenal player better

Arsenal were desperate to sign a new wide player in the summer. The Gunners needed a winger who could play on either flank, and Sterling checked the box.

At the start of the campaign, Gooners felt Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli were undisputed starters out wide, but the spot on the left looks like it’s up for grabs.

Martinelli hasn’t had the greatest start to the season, but following Sterling’s goal and an assist on Wednesday night, this will be a warning to the Brazilian.

We expect Martinelli to pull his socks up and work even harder now, and that should bring the best out of him in the coming weeks.

Martinelli looked good against Manchester City and was sharp when he came on against Bolton too. Hopefully, he can get a goal against Leicester City on Saturday.