Sterling sends a message to Arsenal after ending his underwhelming loan spell 

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.