Did Enzo Maresca make a mistake with Raheem Sterling? (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)
Chelsea have made a positive start to life under Enzo Maresca, but the new Blues manager may have made a mistake in allowing Raheem Sterling to leave Stamford Bridge for Arsenal in the summer.
It was decided during pre-season that the 29-year-old would not be part of Maresca’s plans at Chelsea and the Italian manager decided to isolate the winger as the start of the 2024/25 campaign approached. Not many clubs showed interest in the winger, but with the cover needed for Arsenal’s wide positions, Mikel Arteta brought the Englishman to the Emirates Stadium on loan, with a former Arsenal star calling the transfer a panic buy.
The The Gunners are not expected to keep Sterling beyond the current campaignhowever, the former Man City talent is doing his best to boost his current squad.
The winger has featured in nine games for the north London club this season and has made one goal and two assists. Five of those appearances would come in the Premier League and the 29-year-old would get his first assist of the season in the competition on Saturday as the Englishman set up Ethan Nwaneri for Arsenal’s third in the win over 3-0 over Nottingham Forest.
This assist has produced a crazy statistic, which does not reflect well on Chelsea’s forwards.
Arsenal’s Raheem Sterling beats Chelsea’s forwards
Sterling’s assist against Nottingham Forest means the 29-year-old has done just that more assists in the Premier League this season than Chelsea’s forwards Noni Madueke, Christopher Nkunku, Joao Felix and Mykhailo Mudryk combined.
The four are yet to register an assist in England’s top flight so far, which is a stark reflection on the Blues’ attacking options.
Madueke is the only player of the four to start regularly in the Premier League for Chelsea, but that doesn’t change the situation as it is similar to Sterling’s at Arsenal.
It’s hard to know exactly what that stat means, but the bottom line is that the supporting cast at Stamford Bridge needs to rise further in the Premier League if Maresca’s men are to finish in the top four.
