The England winger looks revitalised under new manager, Pep Guardiola.
England’s Raheem Sterling
After England’s disappointing exit from Euro 2016, Roy Hodgson’s men came in for some harsh criticism. Pathetic, lacklustre and overpaid were some of the accusations being thrown around, and among the accused was Manchester City’s Raheem Sterling.
England’s Raheem Sterling reacts after missing a chance to score
Sterling’s performances, like most in that England side, were well below par, and after a fairly underwhelming season at Manchester City under Manuel Pellegrini, Sterling needed a fresh start. Thankfully, Manchester City made the decision to change manager over the summer, which gave Raheem the chance he needed to start again.
Manchester City’s John Stones, Raheem Sterling and Tosin Adarabioyo during training
Under a new system, full of attacking flair, Raheem Sterling had a chance to completely reinvent himself. Under the past few season, the 21 year-old had become a somewhat isolated figure out wide. However, under Guardiola, Sterling was about to find himself with a lot more opportunities to get into the box.
Manchester City’s Raheem Sterling during training
City started August tremendously, notching 17 goals in all competitions for the month. Plenty of City’s big stars, such as Sergio Aguero, David Silva, and Kevin De Bruyne had seemed to have taken to the Spaniard’s system like ducks to water, and this was also the case for Sterling. The Englishman was finding a lot more freedom on the pitch under Guardiola, and scored an impressive double against West Ham at the end of the month.
Manchester City’s Raheem Sterling in action with West Ham’s Adrian before scoring their third goal
As fantastic as City’s start had been, City fans knew that the one thing they would need this season is consistency. Too many times in the past had City shown promise, only to falter away while other teams kicked on. This didn’t look to be a problem under Guardiola though, as his blues side went all of September unbeaten. The highlights of the month being the 1-2 victory over rivals, Manchester United, and a 4-0 thrashing of Eddie Howe’s impressive Bournemouth side.
Manchester City’s Raheem Sterling celebrates scoring their third goal
For Sterling, the goals and assists were flowing. Finally, he had seemed to have rediscovered the kind of form that got so many people excited about him during his time at Liverpool. Guardiola system was unlocking all the good parts of Sterling’s game, which Pellegrini had failed to do. Goals against Bournemouth, Swansea City and Celtic in the Champions League topped off a fantastic month for the winger.
Manchester City’s Raheem Sterling celebrates scoring their second goal
October, however, would prove to be a very different month. Five games without a win followed, a run that nobody saw coming, including defeats to Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United and Guardiola’s former club, FC Barcelona. Just as it looked like City were about to go an entire month without a win, Guardiola’s men turned it around, pumping four goals past West Brom. Sterling stood out that day. His quick feet and pace terrorised the WBA backline, proving just how important the forward had become to getting this City team ticking.
Manchester City’s Raheem Sterling in action
The win against West Brom seemed to be just what Manchester City needed to revitalise their season, and with that followed one of the greatest results in the club’s recent history. Hosting Barcelona at the Ethiad, Guardiola’s men put on a mesmeric display, beating Messi’s men 3-1. Among the stand out performers, Sterling once again shone.
Manchester City’s Raheem Sterling celebrates scoring their third goal
When England had just been knocked out of the Euros, not many would have foreseen the unbelievable rise in form of Sterling. Though much of this can certainly be placed at Guardiola’s door, the England winger must be commended on going from the most tormented player in England’s failed side, to a standout performer in a thrashing of Barcelona.
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