When Raheem Sterling arrived on loan at Arsenal from Chelsea on deadline day, there were many smug faces in north London.
Arsenal had landed a four-time Premier League winner on a cut-price deal, a player who Mikel Arteta had already worked with before.
Sterling thought Arsenal were the perfect fit, and for all those looking in from the outside, it was hard to conclude anything otherwise.
The 30-year-old was hungry to prove his quality and renewed appetite to carry on succeeding at the top level, but the reality has been very different.
Instead of reviving his career at Arsenal, Sterling has arguably gone backwards from his difficult time at Chelsea, playing even less football.
Raheem Sterling has played the fewest league minutes of his career at Arsenal
Just like he did against Manchester United earlier this month, Sterling failed to play a single minute during frustrating draws with Fulham and Everton over the past week or so.
Arsenal needed a goal in both games, and Arteta turned to everyone except Sterling.
Raheem Sterling of Arsenal looks on prior to the Premier League match between Fulham FC and Arsenal FC at Craven Cottage on December 08, 2024 in Lo...
Photo by Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images
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Following his continued snub, by this date of a Premier League season, Sterling has now played the least league minutes and made the fewest appearances of his career to date.
Sterling is setting records at Arsenal, but not for the right reasons.
Even with injuries, Club World Cups disrupting the schedule and international tournaments doing similar in the past, Sterling has still never been involved so little in the league by this point of a season.
Season Team Appearances Goals Assists
2024/25 Arsenal 6 0 1
2023/24 Chelsea 17 6 2
2022/23 Chelsea 12 3 1
2021/22 Man City 14 4 1
2020/21 Man City 11 3 2
2019/20 Man City 16 9 1
2018/19 Man City 14 9 6
Raheem Sterling’s Premier League involvement up to December 16th in each recent season (source: Transfermarkt).
The above table displays Sterling’s last seven seasons up until this date in the Premier League, a record that is also true of his time as senior player at Liverpool too.
Sterling was out of favour at the end of his time at Man City, as well as almost all his tenure at Chelsea, and yet he was trusted to play a bigger role than he has at Arsenal, one that has almost been non-existent.
Why is Mikel Arteta refusing to give Raheem Sterling minutes?
Sterling is likely to get the chance to start for Arsenal in the EFL Cup against Crystal Palace, as he has in the last two rounds.
But was he loaned in purely to play in a cup Arsenal have seldom given much attention?
Arteta spoke about Sterling’s situation after the 0-0 draw with Everton last weekend and seemingly tried to provide clarity, even if some of his claims still didn’t quite add up.
He said: “There’s been moments. It’s been tough and very difficult for me as well to accept that I haven’t given him more.
“When he hasn’t started the games, 90 per cent of the subs that I make is related to saving minutes or because of injuries or avoiding injuries. It’s not tactical reasons.
“I would like him to play much more as I think he can impact the team in a very good way. He’s very good in the dressing room and is absolutely desperate to play.
“He had this very important role, impacting every game, and suddenly you are in this position for a while. Not just here but at Chelsea as well.
“So it’s always very difficult and I feel a lot of sympathy for players when they are in this moment. Hopefully we can change it.”
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