Raheem Sterling: Why Arteta no longer trusts the winger's role and how it all went wrong

Off the pitch, many things happen to players and fortwists. 

Once a feared winger in the Premier League, after a difficult time at Chelsea. But instead of rekindling his form, he has found himself on the fringes of Mikel Arteta’s squad.

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Despite his lack of playing time,l and committed.

 «Sterling is very rational in his thinking and ready to play a role whenever called upon at Arsenal,» a source told However, the reality is that he has not been given the opportunities he anticipated.

In the early part of the season. Arsenal’s front three of Bukayo Saka, Kai Havertz, and Gabriel Martinelli were in fine form, making it difficult for any player to break in. 

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But as injuries took their toll—Havertz suffering a season-ending hamstring injury and Saka struggling with fitness—Sterling still found himself watching from the sidelines.

So n lies in the manager’s approach to team selection.

 «It’s believed that Arteta’s averseness to play Sterling is down to a reluctance to wait for him to build confidence and momentum,» a source close to the situation revealed. 

«Instead, he opts for players who are ready in the here and now.»

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That sharp, daring winger from hishas been hard to find.

 Sterling’s where he struggled to make an impact.

 «Time and again, he was thwarted as he tried to take on opponents in a display at odds to what he has produced in seasons gone by,» a club insider remarked.

His difficulties have not come from a lack of effort. Those atand Myles Lewis-Skelly. 

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«The ex-England man has had an influence on youngsters in training, helping to provide pointers,» an Arsenal staff member shared. 

However, Sterling’s The rapid rise of 17-year-old Nwaneri has played a major role.

 «It’s likely that the Gunners wouldn’t have opted for Sterling if they knew how much Ethan Nwaneri was to develop in such a short space of time,» one observer noted.

Beyond that, he and Sterling were close. 

«The pair were said to be ‘glued to the hip’ at Man City,» a former City staffer recalled. But now, as a head coach, Arteta has different priorities. He is transparent with Sterling, but the dynamic is no longer the same.

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With just weeks left in the season,. He is expected to return to Chelsea this summer, but with two years left on his contract at Stamford Bridge, his future remains uncertain.

For Arsenal, —but on the pitch, it has not delivered the impact either party had hoped for.

 Sterling may not have been the player Arsenal needed, but behind the scenes, he has played a valuable, if unseen, role.