Raheem Sterling arrived at Turf Moor with recent rejections from Mauricio Pochettino and Gareth Southgate in mind, despite his feeble protests to the contrary. Following a remarkable comeback led by Sterling, the Chelsea head coach speculated as his squad cruised past Burnley’s defense for their second consecutive league away victory in five days.
The former England star assisted on the first two goals down the Chelsea left edge before scoring his third. He even contributed to the fourth of Nicolas Jackson. “I had nothing to prove,” Sterling replied to the television cameras.
However, following the 28-year-old’s benching for Monday’s victory at Fulham and last week’s Carabao Cup home victory over Brighton, his manager was sufficiently impressed. “Playing well is his responsibility,” stated Pochettino. “He knows he must perform and show the national team manager that his judgment was incorrect.”
Finally, Chelsea’s star-studded squad is cultivating a spirit of wholesome competition. Undertaking a £1 billion transfer expenditure in the seventeen months since Todd Boehly acquired the club would lead most to conclude that the time has come. It’s easy to forget that in the early days of the daring new era, Sterling was acquired for £47.5 million, and his 11 goals in 47 appearances so far are far below par.
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But in this form, he has made a clear statement to Southgate regarding his recent exclusion from the England squad: he is a priceless diamond for both the club and the nation.
Before Sterling made the afternoon his own, Wilson Odobert had threatened to mar another Chelsea away day with a goal within the first fifteen minutes.
Pochettino considers the inclusion of a four-time Premier League champion in his starting lineup an absolute indulgence. The Argentinian’s trump card in this match was Sterling, a proven victor with an elite mentality who has reclaimed his left-wing position since Mykhailo Mudryk scored in his absence at Fulham.
Pochettino stated, “In football, performance is everything, and players must believe they deserve to play.”
“Without player competition, we cannot be consistent in every game if we wish to contend for major titles; such consistency is essential.” As time passes and every player becomes fit, the level of competition will intensify dramatically, which is to the team’s benefit.
Sterling was frequently the only player in blue who appeared inclined to storm Vincent Kompany’s castle during the first half. He often operated as a lone crusader. Just prior to halftime, when the equalizer was scored, it was inevitable that Sterling would have a say. His left-wing cross deflected off Ameen Al-Dakhil, then soared over James Trafford and entered the net precisely.
Chelsea thereafter assumed control. Just inside the area, the troubled right-back Vitinho tripped Sterling. Following VAR’s review, the icy Cole Palmer rolled the penalty past Trafford.
The caliber of the players presented to Pochettino had always been crucial, and a chasm widened between the teams when his squad began to gel.
Sterling deservedly added to the scoresheet after 65 minutes when Moisés Caicedo released Conor Gallagher, who was playing in the Burnley midfield, due to a poor concession. In this state of mind, he simply could not misfire.
“He is an elite player,” said Kompany, who spent four years as Sterling’s teammate for Manchester City. “It serves as evidence of the nature of this league. You perform admirably for the first half, but it’s not enough. They have wingers capable of generating offense in one-on-one situations. The fact that they have not produced results thus far does not alter the fact that they are a top team.”
One suspects that Pochettino may continue to receive unfavorable results in light of this evidence. This was Chelsea’s largest margin of victory since April 2022; it was the first time since March of this year that they had secured three consecutive victories; and in their previous 19 attempts, they had failed to secure a victory after conceding first. They are dismantling obstacles.
Rivals, beware, given Sterling’s current form and the fact that competition for starting positions will intensify upon the returns of players like Christopher Nkunku and Roméo Lavia.
