Sterling’s Arsenal Struggles: A Lost Cause or Poor Management? | OneFootball

Raheem Sterling: A Story of Unfulfilled Potential at Arsenal

Fading Impact at Arsenal

Raheem Sterling’s season at Arsenal has been a microcosm of frustration, an unfulfilled promise in a squad that initially seemed tailor-made for his resurgence. As The Athletic reports, “Last weekend, Sterling’s position in the hierarchy was clear to see. As Arsenal searched for a late winner at Old Trafford against Manchester United, he remained in the stand.”

For a player once lauded for his dynamism at Manchester City, his role at Arsenal has diminished to near anonymity. The sight of Kieran Tierney preferred on the wing ahead of him encapsulated his situation—a damning indictment for a player who joined with hopes of rekindling past glory under Mikel Arteta.

Shadow of His Former Self

Sterling’s career trajectory has been anything but linear. His evolution from a raw talent at Liverpool to a devastating finisher under Pep Guardiola at City was marked by staggering numbers—36, 39, and 35 goal contributions in consecutive seasons between 2017-18 and 2019-20. But that explosiveness waned as he fell out of favour at City, culminating in an underwhelming spell at Chelsea and now, a fruitless loan at Arsenal.

The Athletic outlines the turning point in his career: “It was in the second half of the 2019-20 season that some felt Sterling’s decisiveness in the final third had begun to drop. Guardiola still trusted him to carry out his instructions, but in March 2021 he and Guardiola had a disagreement which saw him left out of the team to face Southampton and then left out of the squad completely three days later against Fulham.”

At Chelsea, inconsistency followed, but Arsenal offered hope. Instead, he has been relegated to the periphery, featuring sporadically and failing to integrate into Arteta’s high-intensity system.

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Tactical Misfit or Managerial Neglect?

Sterling was not acquired as a marquee signing. With no transfer fee and only a partial wage commitment from Arsenal, he was a low-risk addition. However, that may have contributed to his lack of opportunities. “Not having a financial investment in Sterling is perhaps why Arteta was not motivated to prioritise giving him enough match time to get up to speed,” The Athletic notes.

Arteta’s management style is binary—you are either in favour or on the fringes. The cases of Tierney, Aaron Ramsdale, and Emile Smith Rowe demonstrate a pattern: once a player falls out of the manager’s plans, there is little chance of redemption.

Sterling’s struggles culminated in a bittersweet performance against PSV. As The Athletic describes, “Sterling looked like a different player with a bit of confidence flowing through his veins against PSV, and two minutes before half-time he had a great chance to score.” His two assists hinted at a revival, but his reckless late tackle, ruling him out of Arsenal’s Champions League quarter-final first leg, epitomised his season—a step forward followed by an immediate setback.

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Uncertain Future

The forward is now caught in limbo. Chelsea are keen to offload him permanently, acknowledging that his high wages make a move complicated. Arsenal, meanwhile, are unlikely to extend his stay beyond this season. His struggles against Leicester and Tottenham, where he appeared hesitant and lacking in sharpness, further underscored his decline.

Once heralded as one of England’s brightest attackers, Sterling now finds himself at a crossroads. The Athletic states it best: “Few envisaged him playing such a little part at Arsenal this season, but how much has Sterling simply dropped off, and how much has Arteta’s failure to give him an early run of games contributed to the lack of sharpness?”

Sterling’s Arsenal stint is rapidly becoming a cautionary tale—of how a player can slip from prominence and how a club’s approach can either revive or hasten that decline.

Photo: IMAGO

Our View – EPL Index Analysis

The Sterling situation feels like a gamble that was never truly given a fair chance. Many supporters were optimistic when he arrived, hoping he would add experience and quality to a squad brimming with young talent. However, the reality has been starkly different.

The manner in which Arteta has handled Sterling raises questions. If he was never going to be a key figure, why sign him in the first place? His performances suggest a lack of match rhythm, which is only natural given his inconsistent playing time. Arsenal fans have seen this before—players like Nicolas Pépé and Smith Rowe have struggled due to the manager’s reluctance to rotate heavily.

That said, Sterling must also take responsibility. His cameos have largely been uninspiring, and his lack of decisiveness in one-on-one situations has been concerning. For a player of his calibre, struggling against the likes of James Justin and Djed Spence is a worrying sign.

Ultimately, while some blame can be placed on Arteta’s management style, Sterling’s struggles at Arsenal may also indicate that his prime years are behind him. His fate will likely be decided in the summer, but for now, he remains a forgotten figure in an Arsenal squad moving forward without him.