Report: What Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta did with Raheem Sterling in 2017 that changed everything
Very interesting...
Arsenal made three exciting additions during the summer transfer window.
The Gunners brought in Euro 2024 stars Riccardo Calafiori and Mikel Merino before Raheem Sterling completed a deadline day move from London rivals Chelsea.
Sterling’s arrival certainly wasn’t planned at the start of the window but when it became apparent that he was available on a loan deal, Arsenal moved quickly to reunite him with his former coach at Manchester City, Mikel Arteta.
Now, it has just emerged, that Arteta did something with Sterling in 2017 that completely changed the fortune of his career.
Mikel Arteta did one-to-one movement sessions with Raheem Sterling in 2017
According to The Telegraph, Arteta worked tirelessly with Sterling at Manchester City, focusing on his movement.
The pair would stay behind after training, once everyone had gone in, and do one-to-one sessions for hours, polishing his darting runs, positional play and finishing.
Speaking in 2017, Pep Guardiola said: “Mikel is working many hours and days after training. Raheem has wanted to stay there, to improve.
“He knows a striker has to score goals and he has to do that if he wants to achieve the next step.”
Ultimately, the extra hours paid off, as Sterling netted 23 times that season, which followed a 10-goal haul the previous campaign.
Those sessions with Arteta changed everything and were the catalyst to his phenomenal success at City, where he scored 131 goals in 339 appearances.
Raheem Sterling could make his Arsenal debut vs Tottenham Hotspur
Sterling could make his Arsenal debut this weekend, as Arsenal travel to North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur.
Arteta has a big decision to make; does he stick with the ever-reliable Leandro Trossard, who displaced Gabriel Martinelli last time out, or does he go bold and throw Sterling straight into action on the biggest stage.
The latter seems the tailor-made scenario…
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