"Was a man on a mission tonight", "Take a bow" - Chelsea fans in awe of star's 'brilliant' performance in 4-4 draw against Man City
Several Chelsea players played well against Manchester City during their 4-4 draw on Sunday, November 12, but fans on social media were in awe of former City forward Raheem Sterling's performance.
City were clear favorites heading into the clash against the Blues, who had won only once at home in six matches before of this fixture. Pep Guardiola's side, however, faced stern resistance from the Londoners, who put up a good fight and ultimately claimed a point.
After a disappointing 2022-23 season in a misfiring Chelsea team, Raheem Sterling has started the ongoing season extremely well. After scoring just six goals in 28 league games as the Blues finished 12th, he has already found the back of the net four times in 12 league games this season.
On Sunday, he scored his team's second goal in the 37th minute, won ten ground duels, completed four dribbles, and played one key pass. Chelsea fans took to X (formerly Twitter) to praise the English winger for his performance against Manchester City.
A fan suggested that Sterling played like he had something to prove against his former employers:
"Meanwhile, Raheem Sterling @sterling7 was a man on a mission tonight."
Here are other reactions from Twitter:
"Sterling TAKE A BOW"
"brilliant Sterling performance today"
A user stated that Sterling's performance against City would have caught the attention of England manager Gareth Southgate.
Raheem Sterling has now scored four goals for Chelsea in the Premier League this season while being one of their best performers. The former Liverpool man has been a trusted lieutenant for Mauricio Pochettino's Blues this season, but hasn't featured in Southgate's England squad since the World Cup last year.
Chelsea vs Manchester City: How it unfolded
Manchester City took the lead from the penalty spot after 25 minutes through Erling Haaland, before Thiago Silva equalised for the Blues just four minutes later. The Blues went ahead when Sterling tapped home from close range in the 37th minute, before Manuel Akanji headed home in first-half stoppage time to ensure the scores were level at half-time.
Haaland scored his second of the night just 90 seconds into the second period, before Nicolas Jackson equalised for Chelsea 20 minutes later. Rodri scored via a heavy deflection with four minutes of normal time left, before Cole Palmer scored a late penalty for the Blues.
Pochettino's side have now won four, drawn four and lost four of their opening 12 league matches this season and are tenth in the table. Manchester City, on the other hand, are atop the standings, one point clear of Liverpool and Arsenal.
The Blues will return to action after the international break with a trip to Newcastle United on November 25, while the defending champions face rivals Liverpool on the same day.