‘Tough team’: Raheem Sterling explains what impressed him about Arsenal

Follow us on Google Discover

Match-winner Raheem Sterling has admitted that Manchester City found it difficult against Mikel Arteta’s ‘well drilled’ Arsenal side in Saturday’s Premier League clash, while speaking to the club’s official website.

The Gunners might have returned to the capital with nothing to show for their efforts after a 29th successive game without success away to a ‘big six’ rival, but there were certainly plenty of reasons to feel positive at full-time.

Clearly, this Arsenal side have far more character, resilience and belief than the sides so often swept aside by Pep Guardiola’s City machine in recent times.

But Sterling’s now-customary goal against the London giants at one end, and a couple of fine Ederson saves at the other, was still enough to secure a 1-0 triumph that was every bit as tight and nervy as the score-line suggests.

“We dropped points early on in the season so it was important to keep on winning,” says Sterling, who captained City in the absence of Fernandinho

“Coming back from the international break we knew we needed a good performance and to pick up points to kick-start the season. Today’s result definitely gives us confidence.

“(Arsenal) closed the pitch well and they had some good chances as well. It was a tough team to play against and Mikel has them well drilled.”

The fact remains, however, that Arsenal have failed in both their big challenges so far in 2020/21, picking up no points from trips to City and reigning champions Liverpool.

While Arteta deserves so much credit for finally giving the Gunners a backbone, his decision to use Willian through the middle as a number nine backfired badly at the Etihad.

Clearly, both Arsenal and Arteta are a work in progress.