Mikel Areta has admitted that he did not believe that Raheem Sterling was the right player to change the game during the 1-1 draw of Arsenal with Manchester United on Sunday.
In Old Trafford, the titles of the Gunners’ powerful Premier League titles were as well deleted as in Old Trafford, when more points Liverpool pointsed a lead of 15 points at the top of the table. Bruno Fernandes’ first half free kick gave United a slim lead during the break, and although Declan Rice performed the Arsenal level in the second half, they could not continue despite the pressure and win the game.
Areta was still missing a number of important players for the trip to Manchester, even though he had injured Gabriel Martinelli with just over half an hour after a five -week spell.
The Spaniard made only three of his five permitted replacement and surprisingly turned to the full -back Kieran Terney, who leaves the club in the summer to turn with a free transfer when arsenal was looking for a destination.
In conversation with the media in front of Arsenal’s Champions League round of 16 residues with PSV Eindhoven, Areteta announced that he had made the decision on the day not to use Sterling.
“It is the same with the rest of the players. In the end we meet the day the player we believe that it fits better how the game develops,” he said, “he came in many games and not on the other day, and that’s it.”
When asked whether Sterling can start against PSV, he said 7-1 after a Stonking victory in the first leg, he said: “I will decide that tomorrow with him and the rest of them.”
Sterling moved from London Rivals Chelsea to Arsenal last summer to revive his career after being frozen at the Stamford Bridge.
But the 30-year-old, who won the last of his 82 England caps at the 2022 World Cup, played football in all competitions and only started eight games.
During this time, Sterling only contributed a lonely goal and two templates – the former in the third round of the Carabao Cup against Bolton Wanderers in the League One.