Bacary Sagna believes Raheem Sterling is the best player at Chelsea.

Chelsea will benefit from Sterling’s time under relentless Guardiola

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The live Premier League table during the first half on Saturday the 27th of August would have made for curious viewing with ten-men Chelsea drawing with Leicester whilst Manchester City trailed Crystal Palace by two goals to nil. Both Chelsea and City would right the ship and find a way to win on a day that could have produced a string of upsets. 

Instead, the status quo was restored as City remain on course for the title and if you , you will also see that Chelsea were able to boost their hopes of a top-four finish after being given a price of 5/6 to finish in the coveted Champions League positions at the end of the season.

The latest and tips do, however, predict that the Blues will have their work cut out for them during a campaign where they might be more than a few topsy-turvy Saturdays like they experienced against Leicester. Raheem Sterling was the match-winner on this particular occasion as his priceless double helped spare Thomas Tuchel’s blushes for the second week in a row following a 3-0 reverse at Elland Road.

Indeed, Sterling was able to grab the game by the scruff of the neck and drive Chelsea on when it may have been easier for the players to feel sorry for themselves after Conor Gallagher’s red card undid a lot of good work in the first 25 minutes. Fortunately, Sterling time’s at City has turned him into a serial winner who has been programmed into believing that winning is possible from the slimmest odds. 

It was, of course, no coincidence that on the same afternoon and 200 miles up the M6, Pep Guardiola’s charges were able to overcome a two-goal deficit and claim three vital points. Essentially, Guardiola is fiercely uncompromising when it comes to his players dropping their heads when adversity strikes which ultimately means that over time, his team has come to believe that they can win from any position they find themselves in. At least, they have no other option but to try under the relentless Spaniard. Chelsea now stand to benefit from the demands that have been placed on Sterling throughout his seven seasons at the Etihad Stadium and got a glimpse of the attacker’s willingness to compete against Leicester when the chips were down.

Similarly, England fans will remember Sterling’s influence during the Euros in 2021 when the national team needed someone to defy the narrative that has often haunted the Three Lions in major competitions. In particular, Sterling forced the own goal from Simon Kjaer and won England the penalty that helped overcome an early 1-0 deficit against Denmark in the quarter-finals. 

You can spend a long time looking back on the occasions when Sterling had the courage to keep going when those around him were consumed by fear. These qualities that were cultivated under Guardiola will ensure that Chelsea are able to stay in touch with the top four as Tuchel’s team finds its identity this season.