When it comes to players working under him, Mikel Arteta often talks about “a click”.
In Arteta’s eyes, it is that moment where everything falls into place for a player and suddenly, after a difficult time, they are on the same wavelength as everyone in the team.
Three months into his Arsenal career, it feels like Sterling is still waiting for that “click” and a moment when his time in north London sparks into life.
So far, since joining from Chelsea on loan on transfer deadline day in August, the winger has started four games and played just 340 minutes.
Two of those starts came in the Carabao Cup, as did half of his total minutes. In the Premier League, he has started twice and clocked up just 130 minutes of action.
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Arteta, however, puts the blame for that on himself and, as the busy festive period gets underway, he hinted on Friday that things could be about to change.
“I would like to see [Sterling] more, to be fair,” said Arteta. “This is down to me. He is trying his best, his application, his commitment around the team has been exceptional and now it is time for me to give him more minutes.
“That’s the intention. That’s why I put him in against Forest, that’s why I wanted to put him in again Sporting and [it is about] now getting him in that rhythm, because he can really impact the team as well.”
As Arteta alluded to, Sterling was due to come on against Sporting on Tuesday night for the final moments of Arsenal’s 5-1 win.
The winger was stripped off and ready to come on, but then Gabriel signalled to the bench that he needed to be substituted and Jakub Kiwior was thrown on instead.
He has been in this game a long time and he knows that this is something I cannot control
Mikel Arteta on Raheem Sterling's restricted minutes
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“A smile on his face, fortunately for me,” said Arteta, when asked how Sterling reacted. “It’s one of these things that happens in football.
“Unfortunately it happened to him and he reacted in the best possible way, which is understanding. He has been in this game a long time and he knows that this is something I cannot control.”
It was unfortunate for Sterling and it was a similar story about Bournemouth last month. On that occasion, the winger was handed only a second start in the Premier League but he had to come off before half-time after William Saliba’s red card forced Arteta into a reshuffle at the back.
Sterling has had to be patient for opportunities so far, but now is surely the moment when he will hope to see his minutes ramp up.
Beginning at West Ham today, the Gunners have eight games in the space of 28 days and Arteta will have to rotate his squad during that run.
Sterling has shown flashes of promise, like last weekend when he came off the bench to set up Ethan Nwaneri for his first Premier League goal.
Late in games, the 29-year-old feels like he could be a useful asset and his experience alone should prove valuable towards the business end of the season.
When Arsenal came calling this summer, it was instantly the move Sterling wanted to make and that was in part due to his desire to work with Arteta.
The pair knew each other from Manchester City, where Arteta worked with Sterling when he was one of Pep Guardiola’s assistants, and the sense was that relationship could continue at Arsenal.
Arteta has only talked in glowing terms about Sterling since his move, even apologising in a press conference earlier this month when discussing the fact the winger did not come on against Newcastle and Inter Milan when Arsenal were chasing the game.
“That’s a decision of mine, nothing to do with Raz,” said Arteta. “If somebody got it wrong, it was me.”
Thankfully for Arsenal and Sterling, there is still time to prove his move this summer was the right one - but the run of games coming now feels vital.
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