Arsenal’s Premier League title hopes sustained another blow as they slumped to a 1-1 draw against Fulham in the competition.
The Gunners were far from their best at Craven Cottage, and Jakub Kiwior was punished by Raul Jimenez after being pulled out of position early on.
William Saliba tapped in from a corner to level things up swiftly after the break, giving Arsenal a new lease of life.
However, the North Londoners couldn’t find a way through Fulham’s well organised defence, even as Mikel Arteta turned to his bench for attacking inspiration, with Gabriel Martinelli, Mikel Merino, Ethan Nwaneri, and Gabriel Jesus all thrown into the fray.
Mikel Arteta sends clear message to Raheem Sterling vs Fulham
Whilst Arteta was clearly desperate to give his side something extra in the final third, he refrained from calling upon Raheem Sterling.
On his 30th birthday, the Chelsea loanee remained an unused substitute as the Gunners dropped points. Of the 11 Premier League matchday squads he has been included in for Arsenal this season, this was the fifth occasion on which he saw no action at all.
He has made just two starts in the competition for Arsenal, and is yet to score a goal.
Arteta was once a huge fan of Sterling’s talent, having worked with the forward in the time they shared at Manchester City.
However, the 82-cap England international is no longer the player he once was and the Spanish coach clearly knows it. Even with his side desperate to snatch three points at Craven Cottage, he reused to summon Sterling from the bench.
It is clear, even at this relatively early stage in the season, that there is almost no chance that Arsenal will seek to make his switch from Stamford Bridge into a permanent move.
Sterling transfer gamble has backfired on Arsenal
Arsenal got a good deal for Sterling from a financial perspective, as the Gunners did not have to pay a loan fee to secure his services and the Blues are still paying the majority of his wages.
However, in terms of the contribution he has been able to make at the Emirates Stadium so far, Sterling has to go down as a flop signing.
His arrival may not have proved costly in a financial sense, but it has been damaging to Arsenal’s Premier League title chances as a squad space is now being taken up by a senior player who the manager clearly lacks faith in.
The Gunners needed to raise the level of their squad in the summer, and in the case of signing Sterling at least, they failed to do so.
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