Raheem Sterling truly announced himself at Arsenal on Wednesday evening.
Raheem Sterling was able to give Arsenal fans a taste of what he could deliver for Mikel Arteta’s side this season as the Gunners thrashed Bolton Wanderers.
Arteta handed the 29-year-old his first start for the North London club in this EFL Cup fixture at the Emirates Stadium. The Chelsea loanee was able to mark the occasion with a goal and an assist.
Whilst Ethan Nwaneri was the star of the show against the League One outfit, marking his own first start for the club with a brace, Sterling was still able to play a vital role.
In fact, Nwaneri has the 82-cap England international to thank for his first senior goal.
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Raheem Sterling shows flash of Man City form for Arsenal
With 37 minutes on the clock, Hale End academy starlet Myles Lewis-Skelly played a magnificent defence-splitting pass to find the run of Sterling.
The winger then drove into the Bolton box, before picking out Nwaneri with a smart low cross. This assist will have given Sterling a welcome boost of confidence, before he truly capped his display with a goal of his own.
Sterling’s strike came in the 64th minute, after the Bolton goalkeeper failed to collect a driven Bukayo Saka cross, the winger reacted fastest to prod the ball home from close range.
This is the kind of goal that Sterling made such a habit of scoring when he was at his best for Manchester City, showing great alertness and intelligent movement in the opposition penalty area to capitalise on an opportunity.
The fact that he has so quickly found himself replicating that kind of finish for Arsenal will provide huge encouragement for supporters of the club. Arteta has backed himself to get Sterling back to his best, and this goal is a sign that the player is already starting to rediscover his spark.
What Sterling needs from Mikel Arteta now
Sterling is a player that thrives on consistency and confidence, and needs the faith of his manager to flourish.
Therefore, Arteta must continue putting his trust in the player, and afford him plenty of game time.
When Arsenal host Leicester City in the Premier League on Saturday, it is important that Sterling is given some minutes again in that fixture.
The only way he will truly get back to his best is if he is allowed to play his way back into form.
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