Saturday 15 August 2015 20:09, UK
Can Raheem Sterling be a factor for Manchester City in crunch clashes? We analyse his record.
Manuel Pellegrini’s Manchester City might have shown in 2013/14 that losing to their rivals need not be a stumbling block to title glory, but their manager will surely be under no illusions. City’s record against the best needs to improve if they are to give themselves the best chance of regaining their ascendancy.
While Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea are unbeaten over the past two seasons against top-four rivals, City have lost more than they have won. It needs solving. And fast. “In the Premier League, every point that you start winning at the beginning is just as important as at the end,” Pellegrini told Sky Sports after seeing off West Brom on Monday evening.
The game at the Hawthorns marked Raheem Sterling’s debut in a City shirt and while he appeared to settle well, it will be in games like Sunday’s – at home to champions Chelsea – on which the success of the investment will be judged. Sign a player for £49m and the expectation is that he will make the difference when it matters most.
Sterling has much to prove but some of the statistics suggest that Sterling performs better against the best. Could he thrive in the big games under the right circumstances?
In his breakthrough 2013/14 season as Liverpool chased an unlikely title win, some of Sterling’s best work came against top-four opponents. There were two goals against Arsenal and the opener in what seemed at the time as though it would be the decisive clash with City. According to stats site WhoScored, three of Sterling’s four best games came against the top six.
While last season was a difficult one for Liverpool and some supporters might have hoped that Sterling could better carry the weight of expectation on his young shoulders, his numbers still held up well in those big matches. Three of his seven assists came in games against Chelsea and City – last season’s top two.
Sterling actually completed dribbles more regularly against the Premier League top three than he did against the rest of the division. Indeed, there were more successful dribbles against Arsenal than anyone else. He also completed a successful cross more than twice as often per 90 minutes against the top sides.
It could be that Sterling is more effective against a side willing to allow space in behind their defence. What is certain is that playing alongside the likes of David Silva and Yaya Toure will help too. Up next it is his Etihad Stadium debut against Chelsea. "I’ve done alright against them in the past," said Sterling this week. Expectations are such that it would be a good time for Sterling to remind his critics that he is capable of rather more than that.
