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The Manchester City forward is preparing to return after recovering from an injury that forced him to retire from the England team
Raheem Sterling had no doubt that Mikel Arteta has what it takes to be a successful manager after making a big impact in his short stint at Arsenal.
The Gunners coach returns to Etihad Stadium this Saturday, returning to a place where he spent more than three and a half years as Pep Guardiola’s assistant.
Arteta has already secured his first silver medal, beating City en route to final FA Cup success to claim the club’s first trophy in more than three years.
The Spaniard made a huge impact during his tenure at City, and was a popular figure among players, and Sterling is not surprised that he has shown his tough side since taking office in December 2019.
“He’s a person who had a lot to say here,” Sterling said. “The coach trusted him here and he had a lot of influence on the players here and also on the team.
“So I knew once he entered Arsenal that it would be a great opportunity for him, but he would also definitely implement what he wanted to bring.
“And he’s a person who will push himself and not let things slide, as you can see with the Arsenal guys. They know that if they don’t run, they most likely won’t play.”
Sterling says Arsenal have always had a strong side, but Arteta has challenged them to match their skill with the pace of work.
“You can see the change he has brought there, you can see the energy, you can see how much he has put into them with his work off the ball,” added the City forward.
“We all knew before Mikel got into good football that they could play, how technically good they were, but probably off the field they weren’t as aggressive as they are with Mikel.
“Now their socks are running, you can see why they benefited from some good results recently.”
City are already five points behind the Gunners, although they have an extra game to play. Guardiola’s side are off to an uneven start, winning on the road to the Wolves before being beaten 5-2 by Leicester in a surprising loss at home.
“I think the most important thing is that we know the beginning that we have had,” Sterling said. “The game against Arsenal is a great game to start the season and get a good result.
“Nothing changes, this is football, you have already seen the results of the first Premier League matches.
“We know it is going to be a long season, without the fans, but we are enjoying the challenge.”
Sterling withdrew from England’s international games in the past fortnight as a precautionary measure after a hamstring problem.
But the 25-year-old is ready to come back giving Guardiola an injury boost with Kevin De Bruyne set to be ruled out for “next matches.”
“Coming back from Portugal and then starting with the national team before the season started with the Premier League, not having a great preseason … I think we probably had three or four days, probably a week, at most a week and I was straight at him, “he said.
“I was not in the best condition and I had a little problem with my hamstring and I am back in top form.
“It should be fine and I feel good to play against Arsenal.”
