Mikel Arteta helped turn Raheem Sterling into a penalty-box threat – he can do it again at Arsenal

“My time with Raheem was distinctive. We constructed a very robust relationship collectively.”

Mikel Arteta had solely good phrases to say about Raheem Sterling when questioned about their time collectively at Manchester Metropolis this month. Now, after Arsenal agreed a mortgage cope with Chelsea for Sterling late on switch deadline day, the participant and coach will work as colleagues as soon as extra.

At Metropolis, Arteta coached a vastly totally different Sterling between July 2016 and December 2019. Nevertheless, there’s perception {that a} reunion may assist Sterling rediscover his finest type and provides Arteta his first Premier League title as a supervisor.

It’s simple to brush away the affect Arteta had throughout his stint at Metropolis given the presence of serial winner Pep Guardiola. However in 2020, earlier than Arteta’s first match on the Etihad as Arsenal supervisor, Sterling revealed the extent of perception Guardiola positioned in his compatriot.

“Arteta had a variety of say right here. The supervisor trusted him and he had a variety of affect on the gamers as nicely,” Sterling mentioned, including that Arteta would “put his foot down” with the gamers and “not let issues slide”.

Arsenal’s systematic squad trimming within the Arteta period vindicates Sterling’s phrases, and the membership have benefited from their supervisor’s no-nonsense strategy — one thing that has seen them enhance their factors tally in every of the previous 4 seasons.

Arteta will count on the identical excessive requirements from Sterling, who will know exactly what these calls for will probably be.

Throughout Arteta’s Metropolis stint, Sterling grew into a daily goalscorer, having burst onto the scene as a pacy winger with inconsistent finish product at Liverpool. A key characteristic of his enchancment needed to do with improved positioning and motion, which noticed him frequently assault the field.

Arteta and Sterling dealing with one another as Arsenal and Liverpool gamers in February 2014 (Shaun Botterill/Getty Photographs)

The graph under gives an concept of how Sterling’s dribbling took a backseat as his recreation advanced throughout his time at Metropolis. Moreover, his carries into the penalty space elevated from 2.7 per 90 minutes to three.1 as he operated nearer to the field.

Sterling’s improved positioning additionally meant he was an even bigger risk within the field, receiving passes and taking his photographs from higher areas. His non-penalty anticipated targets (npxG) hit a career-high 0.6 per 90 in 2019-20, whereas these three seasons had been additionally one of the best of his profession for taking pictures stats.

Sterling ended up scoring 55 league targets throughout these three campaigns from a npxG of 45.4. A lot of these targets — in addition to the 23 Premier League targets he managed in his ultimate two seasons at Metropolis — got here from him making clever runs…

… or combining these off-ball runs with wonderful positioning to attain from cutbacks and crosses.

From a productiveness standpoint, Sterling could by no means once more be fairly nearly as good as he was in that spell however his goalscoring was extra to do with intuition than capability. Rekindling that intuition, which most will inform you is less complicated to do in coaching than restoring a capability, would be the first order of enterprise for Arteta.

Earlier than diving into the Arsenal angle, it is very important perceive what the present iteration of Sterling gives.

Having arrived from a hyper-stable surroundings at Manchester Metropolis, Chelsea’s volatility has meant he needed to adapt his recreation to 4 everlasting managers in two years. Sterling has regarded extra just like the participant who burst onto the scene with Liverpool, leaning extra on his dribbling to trend alternatives. Nevertheless, groups have discovered it simpler to cease him, as a result of a drop in his acceleration and the truth that he performs in a Chelsea aspect with no outlined identification.

The 29-year-old averaged 6.0 take-ons per 90 within the league final season, however his 34 per cent success price was the worst of his profession. Sterling’s 9.9 progressive passes obtained per 90 throughout his Chelsea stint falls nicely in need of the figures from his Metropolis spell. He nonetheless will get into good positions however isn’t being discovered with the regularity and precision that he was on the Etihad.

His ending — which has by no means been his strongest trait as a result of a bent to underhit most of his photographs — and decision-making suffered as nicely, with moments like these leaving Chelsea followers annoyed final season. It’s price noting, although, that his motion to get on to the top of a few of these possibilities was nonetheless wonderful.

Sterling has regressed in nearly each statistical class talked about on this article. A few of that’s as a result of manner he has needed to adapt his recreation to suit tactical calls for at Chelsea, a number of are as a result of his limitations as he approaches his thirties.

So the place does that go away him?

Sterling’s dribbling is statistically his standout high quality as soon as once more however given the turbulence at Chelsea, it might be untimely to pigeonhole him into that class of Premier League forwards.

Arteta’s expertise of teaching Sterling ought to assist make the teething phases of this partnership easy. From there on, there are methods by which Arteta can each embrace and enhance Arsenal’s newest signing.

(Oli Scarff/AFP by way of Getty Photographs)

For starters, Sterling’s one-versus-one capability and luxury in enjoying with underlapping and overlapping full-backs imply he gives extra tactical flexibility than Gabriel Martinelli, who was not at his finest final season. Summer season signing Riccardo Calafiori confirmed at Bologna that he can drift into midfield but additionally maintain his width and enjoying him alongside Sterling on the left may maximise the returns Arsenal count on from each gamers.

If Arteta can get Sterling to incessantly make off-ball runs into the field and goal the again submit as soon as once more, Sterling will seemingly reply with targets. Arsenal created extra possibilities from cutbacks than another Premier League aspect final season (91) and scored the third-most targets by way of that methodology (12), so if Sterling will get into the appropriate locations on the proper time, he may rating at his Manchester Metropolis price as soon as extra.

The transfer additionally has implications from a squad-building standpoint. Having Sterling and Martinelli as left-wing choices offers Leandro Trossard the liberty to play in his most well-liked place down the center and improves Arsenal’s depth at centre-forward alongside Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus with out further expenditure. Lastly, Sterling’s versatility means he may additionally function backup to Bukayo Saka, particularly with Reiss Nelson set to spend the season on mortgage at Fulham.

All through his profession, Sterling has tailored to altering managers, calls for, positions and ways with various ranges of success. Historical past has proven that managerial stability and construction deliver out one of the best within the ahead, so Arsenal having the ability to resurrect the ‘robust relationship’ between Sterling and Arteta may show a promising component as they attempt to overhaul Guardiola on the high of the Premier League.

(Photograph: Marc Atkins/Getty Photographs))