Chelsea’s win over Luton marked a milestone night for Mauricio Pochettino but of greater significance than the Argentine’s first win was Raheem Sterling‘s admission that he has rediscovered his love for football again.
Sterling, like everyone else at the club, was sucked into the Stamford Bridge doom spiral last season, his form a pale imitation of what went before at Manchester City.
But he has been rejuvenated at the start of his second campaign in west London, starring in a defeat to West Ham before providing two goals, the first a spectacular individual effort, and an assist for Nicolas Jackson in Friday’s 3-0 win.
Afterwards, he gave an unusually revealing interview to Sky Sports in which he stated that he wants to become “obsessed” with football again, confirmation that a disappointing start at Chelsea and an underwhelming end at City, had sapped his spirit.
“I came at a difficult period… excuses, that’s all finished,” he said. “The most important thing is I’ve had a look at myself. I’m a person who always tries to analyse what I’m doing, what I’ve done wrong, what I can change and it’s as simple as that.
“I want to get back to being obsessed with football; just football 24/7 and nothing else. Focus on top performances and goals and assists.”
When pushed by his former England coach Gary Neville on what he meant by that, Sterling added: “A lot happens in your career.
“Coming to a new challenge is difficult and then your head can be a bit blurry and sometimes you need that clear vision to know exactly what you want.
“My love for football is too much to at this age 28 kind of fizzle out. I want to make sure that I maintain the standards that I’ve set over the past couple of years and keep going.”
It is easy to forget that Sterling is still only 28 given he has been playing regular Premier League football for over a decade after first breaking through as a 17-year-old at Liverpool.
Sterling’s ruthless efficiency in a City shirt, particularly between 2017 and 2020 when he scored 18, 17 and 20 league goals respectively over a three-season period, was maybe taken for granted. His tournament consistency for England probably was too; everyone became so used to his brilliance that nobody foresaw the drop-off.
Perhaps he himself allowed complacency to set in, after winning 10 major honours with City including four league titles. He had grown accustomed to a certain standard at City working with the best manager in the world and some of the best players in the world; when that was unmatched at Chelsea, his own standards slipped.
Or maybe amidst the constant chaos that has underpinned the Todd Boehly era, he forgot what made him so effective in the first place. A return of six league goals in 2022-23 marked his lowest tally in seven years.
“I had a conversation with the gaffer earlier last week and we’ve gone through the role and I know exactly what he needs from me and it’s as simple as that,” Sterling said. “I need to get on the back foot, do what I do drive at players and that’s when I’m at my most effective.”
Sterling said that he spoke to Pochettino after the draw against Liverpool in which his manager – his fifth in just over a year at the club – reminded him that regardless of his position on the pitch “no one can stop you” when he is aggressive on the ball.
That is FABULOUS from Raheem Sterling
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) August 25, 2023pic.twitter.com/jrd5GBhpyl
That determination to drive at defenders was evident in Sterling’s first goal against Luton, a brilliant solo run capped with a composed finish at the end. His second was a clinical strike in the six-yard-box, the likes of which he made a regular occurence during his City days.
“He deserves full credit for his performance,” said Pochettino. “We are very pleased and very happy. He has quality and can provide the team goals and assists and when we don’t have the ball, works hard to recover the ball as soon as possible. I’m so pleased for him because he told me it was a difficult season for him last season.”
The timeless Thiago Silva, who turns 39 next month, was the only Chelsea player older than Sterling in Friday’s starting line-up. He is an established player in a squad packed full of youthful potential.
That status brings with it responsibility to become a leader. Maintain the levels he has set over the past two games and Sterling might just guide this group into a bright new future.
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