Paul Merson sends Arsenal warning about ‘unplayable’ Chelsea player ahead of Premier League clash
Paul Merson has issued a caution to Arsenal regarding the potential danger posed by Raheem Sterling when Mikel Arteta‘s squad visits Chelsea in the Premier League following the international break.
In their upcoming Premier League match, the Gunners will be guests at Stamford Bridge, facing their London rivals.
Arsenal is aiming to preserve their undefeated record for the season as they travel to Chelsea on October 21.
Meanwhile, Mauricio Pochettino’s team currently sits in 11th place in the standings after securing three wins from eight games.
Raheem Sterling played a crucial role in boosting Chelsea’s momentum as they headed into the international break with a dazzling performance against Burnley.
The 28-year-old added to his goal tally for the season by netting his third goal at Turf Moor.
In addition to his recent performance, he had previously scored two goals against Luton Town in August and contributed one assist.
Merson warns Arsenal about the threat Sterling gives Chelsea
Sterling was simply mesmerizing in the match against Burnley, even though he only managed to score one goal.
He also played a significant role in Ameen Al Dakhil’s own goal and provided a pinpoint cross that led to an assist for Nicolas Jackson. Throughout the entire game, he caused a lot of trouble for the Clarets.
As a result, Merson believes that opposing teams will start to dread facing Chelsea, particularly as Sterling regains his top form just before Arsenal’s visit to Stamford Bridge.
The former Arsenal great also expresses concerns that Arteta should be wary of Pochettino’s squad, given their strong performances against top-tier teams, including their recent 1-1 draw with Liverpool.
“Arsenal come to Stamford Bridge in a couple of weeks and they will have a go at Chelsea,” Merson said in a Sky Sports column.
“So, it will be interesting. But against the better teams, like Liverpool who had a right go, those are the games they have played well in this season.
“So, it will be interesting. But where Chelsea are in the league, teams will not want to play them as on their day, they can beat anybody and when Raheem Sterling is playing like he did at Burnley, then he is unplayable.”
Sterling rejected Arteta’s interest in his transfer in 2022
Sterling will aim to demonstrate his prowess on the field and prove Merson’s warning wrong when Arsenal takes on Chelsea later this month.
It’s worth noting that he didn’t perform exceptionally well in either of the London rivals’ matches last season, despite Arsenal’s interest in bringing him to the Emirates Stadium from Stamford Bridge.
Arteta had expressed a desire to reunite with the winger, having previously worked with him at Etihad Stadium.
According to reports from The Athletic in May 2022, Sterling showed no interest in a transfer to Arsenal, even though Arteta was keen on the deal with Manchester City.
It seems that Sterling did not share the same enthusiasm for the reunion as his former coach.
Chelsea, to the delight of Thomas Tuchel, made the move to acquire Sterling for a fee of £47.5 million in July 2022, securing his services with a lucrative five-year contract worth £325,000 per week.
Sterling has proven to be a valuable investment for Chelsea, contributing 12 goals and five assists in 47 games. However, in the previous season, he did not pose a significant threat to Arsenal.
In November 2022, Arsenal emerged victorious with a 1-0 win at Stamford Bridge, during which Sterling was unable to outshine Oleksandr Zinchenko.
Then, in May, the Gunners secured a 3-1 victory, with Martin Odegaard taking full advantage of an error by Sterling, who failed to keep up with the quick run of the Arsenal captain.
Paul Merson sends Arsenal warning about ‘unplayable’ Chelsea player ahead of Premier League clash