Raheem Sterling had a night to remember upon his return to Arsenal's starting eleven in the Champions League on Wednesday night. After spending much of the last year on the bench for London's two biggest clubs, the on-loan Chelsea winger assisted twice as the Gunners cruised through to the quarter-finals with a 9-3 aggregate win over PSV.
It means Mikel Arteta's side will face current holders and 15-time winners of the competition, Real Madrid, in the quarter-finals, and the Spaniard has a difficult decision to make as to whether Sterling deserves more minutes in the forward line after proving he can be the creative spark that has been missing while Bukayo Saka and Kai Havertz have been sidelined.
Raheem Sterling's match statistics during Arsenal 2-2 PSV (9-3 on aggregate)
Minutes
Assists
Chances created
Passing accuracy
Shots on target
Total duels won
But, according to former PGMOL chief and Premier League referee Keith Hackett, the 30-year-old was lucky to not have his Man of the Match performance tainted when he unleashed a dangerous challenge on Johan Bakayoko in stoppage time. Sterling was only shown yellow for the incident, but questions are being raised pertaining to whether it should have been more.
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Former Referee Casts verdict on Sterling's 'Dangerous' Tackle
Sterling is suspended for the first leg but should arguably miss the entire quarter-final
Raheem Sterling vs PSV
After reaching the three yellow card threshold in the Champions League, Sterling will already be missing the first leg of Arsenal's quarter-final against Real Madrid, but Hackett revealed to Football Insider that he should be missing that stage of the competition entirely. He said (watch the incident below):
“Frankly, this challenge deserved a red card. He uses excessive force and endangers the safety of his opponent. This is a red card, and he is lucky that the referee took a lenient approach.”
Sterling's Recklessness Sparks Backlash
The Englishman has come under fire for the tackle
Raheem Sterling during a pre-match warm-up at Arsenal
The opinion of Hackett has been fiercely backed up by those on social media who have called for similar punishment for the Englishman. While one X user remarked: "Insane leg breaker," another claimed: "Should get a long ban for that." Meanwhile, a third said: "Super dangerous, should have been a red," while a fourth concluded:
"These things should be reviewed after the game and he should be handed a five-game ban. This is just violent and unnecessary."
Sterling's return to form came at the worst possible time for the 30-year-old, as Arsenal's next fixture comes in the form of a visit from his parent club Chelsea in the Premier League this coming Sunday.
This means the winger will be ineligible to play, and as Gabriel Martinelli quickly makes his return to full fitness, question marks over Sterling's long-term future remain just as bold as before, despite evidence suggesting that the former Liverpool and Manchester City livewire still has a role to play this season before he returns to west London in search of a new permanent home.
All statistics courtesy of Fotmob (correct as of 13/03/2025)