“I suspect there’s not great thoughts going through his head” - Gary Neville on how Arsenal star feels about Mikel Arteta’s decision vs Man United
Pundit Gary Neville claimed that Arsenal forward Raheem Sterling must be having a tough time. The former Manchester United defender suggested that he might have fallen out of favor with manager Mikel Arteta.
He said (via TBR Football):
“It does tell you where Mikel Arteta is at though with Raheem Sterling, that he’s not willing to put him on with 20 minutes to go and they’re desperate for a goal – they look toothless in attack.
“He’s sat there on the bench and it looks like Tierney is going to come on – Raheem Sterling is unmoved.
“I suspect there’s not great thoughts going through his head.”
With his team desperate for a goal, Arteta opted to send on left-back Kieran Tierney to play an advanced role rather than depend on the 30-year-old. He has struggled for minutes despite the Gunners' multiple injuries to their frontline, possibly indicating the head coach's low confidence in him.
The winger moved to the Emirates in the summer on a one-year loan deal from Chelsea but has not impressed at all. Eyebrows were raised over the move as he had not performed well in his stint with the Blues either and his poor form continued with Arsenal. He has just one goal and two assists in 22 games this season.
His future now remains further unclear as even if he returns to Chelsea, it is likely that he will find himself on the periphery of the squad. It remains to be seen what the future holds for the 30-year-old attacker with 82 caps for England as he will be desperate to get back into the national team squad.
Mikel Arteta plays down title race talk as Arsenal held by Manchester United
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta stated that it was not the right time to talk about the title race following the side's 1-1 draw against Manchester United. Speaking after the game, he said (via the club website):
"I don’t want to say that but today the frustration is that we haven’t won our game – we know the urgency and it’s about winning every single match if you want to have any chance of doing that. I don’t think it’s the right moment to talk about that."
A frustrating trip to Old Trafford saw the hosts take the lead late in the first half. The Gunners eventually equalized through Declan Rice but were unable to find a way past the Red Devils for a second time.
The result leaves Arsenal 15 points off Liverpool at the top of the table who have played a game more. With just 10 games to go, it seems unlikely that they will find a way to topple the Reds.