Last season, as Pep Guardiola led his Manchester City side to a Premier League title-winning campaign and won 100 points along the way, the ever-impressive Raheem Sterling was on hand to see his teammates through those tough games in which things weren’t always going their way.
It started against Bournemouth. In just the third Premier League game of the 2017/18 season, Sterling hit a 97th-minute winner to give the Citizens all three points at the death. Against Huddersfield, with the clock ticking down and the score at 1-1, the England international found the back of the net in fortunate circumstances as the ball bounced off of him and looped into the goal.
Against Southampton, Sterling beat Fraser Forster with a delicious curled effort in the 96th-minute to snatch all three points – it must be noted that his 82nd-minute equaliser against Everton on the opening day also gave Guardiola’s side the impetus to mount a title challenge.
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The 24-year-old won 10 points alone with his late goals, which ensured that City always had a comfortable gap over their rivals at the top of the table. This season, however, his inability to step up and produce these types of moments yet again is costing his side dearly.
Sterling and City lost to Crystal Palace and Leicester within the space of four days, with the former Liverpool forward nowhere to be seen as the champions rolled over without a fight.
It was in the Boxing Day defeat to the Foxes at the King Power that his lack of impetus, drive and usual efficiency in front of goal was particularly non-existent.
Sterling, who has ten goals and six assists in all competitions so far this season, failed to find the back of the net against Claude Puel’s side, and even failed to register a single shot.
City’s £49m man also failed to put in a single accurate cross, and had two unsuccessful touches as he found himself marked out of the game by Leicester players.
Interestingly, Sterling’s ineffectiveness didn’t stop there. He was also dispossessed three times, and was caught offside once to round off a day in which City slipped as low as third behind both Liverpool and Tottenham.
Of course, it is a team effort, but even title-winning sides need their star men to step up and deliver the goods when the odds are stacked against them. Sterling has become embroiled in huge media focus over the last month, and if that is to be what’s affecting his performances on the pitch, Guardiola needs to sit him down and get him playing his best football again.