Raheem Sterling and Liverpool meet again in Capital One Cup final
Thursday 28 January 2016 11:47, UK
When Raheem Sterling joined Manchester City last summer he spoke of joining a "squad that are capable of winning things year in, year out".
On Wednesday night, City sealed their place in the Capital One Cup final, handing Sterling the chance to compete for the first trophy of the season.
The thought of having the chance to walk out in a cup final at Wembley is sure to have been at the forefront of Sterling's mind when deciding to make the move to Manchester from Liverpool last summer, but little did he know that he would have to get the better of his former team-mates to get his hands on the trophy at the end of it.
It won't be the first time Sterling has faced his old club since his £49m switch. The 21-year-old was roundly booed by the travelling Liverpool fans in November, as Jurgen Klopp's side romped to a 4-1 Premier League win at the Etihad.
Strictly business
Given that result it is no surprise that the England international says he will be focused solely on the job at hand in the build-up to the final. Any catching up with his ex-team-mates can wait.
"I might get one or two [text messages] but it's strictly business when it comes to Wembley," Sterling told Sky Sports after the 3-1 victory over Everton in the semi-final second leg.
"This is what I've wanted to do. I've come here and I'm lucky enough to be in a final.
"Well done to Liverpool as well. They've got into a final. We'll meet in the final and may the best team win on the day."
Chasing trophies
While Sterling is looking to win his first trophy as a senior player, Liverpool are aiming for their first under Klopp at the earliest possible opportunity.
For all the talk of money, Sterling has been keen to dismiss the notion that he is a 'money-grabbing 20-year-old' both before and after his move.
"It's never been about money. I talk about winning trophies throughout my career. That's all I talk about," he insisted in a BBC interview while still at Liverpool.
It was a sentiment he reiterated upon joining City, telling the club's official website: "Trying to get some silverware at the end of the season, that's my main objective."
Now, of course, he could manage that by the end of February although his former employers will be doing everything in their power to prevent that.
"We will win the cup," declared Klopp after reaching the final. If they do so it will be their first piece of silverware since winning the competition in 2012.
Filling the void
One of the challenges for the Reds this season, under both Brendan Rodgers and now Klopp, has been to replace Sterling.
The winger was an integral part of their side both last season and in their 2013/14 title tilt - he created 75 chances in the league last term, more than any other Liverpool player, as well as scoring 11 times and making eight assists.
In his absence, even more pressure has been heaped on the shoulders of Philippe Coutinho. The Brazilian, who is currently out with a hamstring injury, is increasingly viewed as the side's creative force and Liverpool will be hoping that he is fit and firing again come the final.
They will also be hoping that another Brazilian, Roberto Firmino, continues his fine recent form. The former Hoffenheim forward has a very different skill set but, after a slow start, he now has five goals and five assists and looks capable of at least replicating Sterling's output.
Disappointing exit
While losing a key player to a league rival is something every club wants to avoid, it was not so much the loss but the manner of Sterling's exit that led to such consternation among Liverpool supporters.
The general feeling among the fans was that, with the help of his agent, Sterling was openly agitating for a move away from the club that had developed him for a number of years, come within three games of the league title a year earlier and given him his chance in the top flight.
Even Sterling has admitted to being 'disappointed' with the way in which he departed the Anfield club.
"I was a bit disappointed how I left," he told Fox Sport Australia. "That was the main problem I've had with the situation - how I've left it with Liverpool."
Timely Anfield return?
Unfortunately for Sterling, no one is likely to forget how he left in a hurry, least of all the Liverpool fans he left behind.
All he can do now is hope that when he returns to Anfield for the first time since leaving the club, three days after the Capital One Cup final, he has a winners' medal to take with him.
If not, worse than the angry reception he may have expected to get, he could be greeted by a gleeful one…
