Raheem Sterling’s underwhelming loan spell at Arsenal has officially come to an end, with the winger playing his final match for the club this month. After being made surplus to requirements by Enzo Maresca at Chelsea last summer, Sterling was given a new opportunity at Arsenal under Mikel Arteta, but it failed to materialise into anything meaningful.
Arteta, who had previously worked with Sterling at Manchester City, was convinced he could extract better performances from the attacker in North London. With Arsenal pushing for major honours and needing attacking depth, the manager believed that Sterling’s experience could be useful in high-pressure moments. Sterling, for his part, was keen to prove he could still compete at the top level and earn his way back into the England squad.
The Promise of Redemption Never Arrived
Sterling’s return to form never came. From the outset, he struggled to make an impression in Arteta’s side. His dribbling lacked conviction, his final product was inconsistent, and his overall presence in games was minimal. While Arsenal fans were hopeful that his familiarity with Arteta’s tactics would give him a head start, the reality was that Sterling rarely looked in sync with the rest of the team.
As the season progressed and the matches became more critical, his involvement diminished. He failed to make a strong case for more minutes, and when he did play, he offered very little. It became apparent that Arsenal’s high-intensity, positionally demanding style of play exposed the flaws in his current form rather than masking them.
A Quiet Exit, A Polite Farewell
As his loan spell comes to a close, Sterling kept his farewell simple. He posted on Instagram:
“Thank you for making my family feel welcome,” accompanied by a heart emoji.
It was a short, courteous note, but notably lacked any direct mention of the club, his manager, or his own performance, a clear reflection of a disappointing stint.
The move simply didn’t work out. Sterling returns to Chelsea without having reestablished himself, and Arsenal moves on, having taken a low-risk chance that ultimately fell flat.
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He’s had a great career, but it’s just not going for him now. He probably needs to step down a level or two (lower league team) to remain a key player. Bad signing for us, but that’s not on him particularly – I don’t think anyone can accuse him of not being professional or not putting in the effort, he’s just not the player he used to be. Happens to everyone.
I hope Sterling one day will disclose why he flopped at Arsenal and Arteta likewise will tell us the mistakes he did in signing a finished player in Sterling. The lesson learnt is football is a competitive industry that exposes underachievers not a charity foundation to shelter a disaffected body. Good luck though to his son Thiago at Arsenal. He’ll avenge for him by helping Arsenal win trophies.
That comes across as being rather uncharitable and like many times in life, with the benefit of hindsight
I didn’t expect Sterling to struggle as much as he did and the point of signing him was to provide cover for a season which he did with mixed success. There were signs that all was not well at Chelsea to have sidelined him, but they had a bloated squad and were going down the youth route
It was a gamble that didn’t pay off for him or Arteta
Sterling should probably move to an easier league. He is a shadow of what he used to be. Hopefully he can regain form there.
Regardless, an Arsenal player is an Arsenal player and I wish him the best in his future career.
I also think the only reason he said anything at all, rather than just disappear quietly, is because his son has just been signed up by our Hale End Academy.
I actually feel sorry for him. It’s not through a lack of effort.
I think he would do alright in a mid table team. Or maybe he will get lucky
Perhaps should play for soccer aid. He would fit on their bench. May not get a game there though.