Premier League fans think Raheem Sterling has made Gareth Southgate look "inept," after his impressive display for Chelsea against Burnley.
The former Manchester City ace missed out on a place in the England squad for the second consecutive time. Southgate opted to pick Phil Foden, Jack Grealish, James Maddison, Jarrod Bowen, Eddie Nketiah, Marcus Rashford and Bukayo Saka who is struggling with injury ahead of Sterling, for the Three Lions’ friendly against Australia and Euro 2024 qualifier match against Italy.
Instead of sulking, Sterling played a huge role in Mauricio Pochettino’s side’s equalising goal against Burnley, before slotting his third Premier League goal of the season to give the Blues a 3-1 lead. After his electric performance at Turf Moor, fans believe he has made Southgate look rather silly.
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“Raheem Sterling making Gareth Southgate look even more inept right now, get this fella out of the role. Negative, boring & picks players that don’t even play weekly for their clubs,” one fan, who evidently has a mighty axe to grind against Southgate, commented.
“Raheem Sterling sending an indirect message to Gareth Southgate this afternoon,” said another, before a rather relieved Chelsea fan made their own self-interest prominent by writing: “Fantastic for us he’s not been picked.”
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Another true Blue said: “[He] should defo be in that squad if Rashford can make it with his poor form recently,” before a fourth added: “It’s all been Burnley vs Sterling this afternoon.”
While Chelsea’s start to the season has been rather clunky, Sterling has been a bright light. He scored an impressive brace in the Blues’ 3-0 win over Luton Town and has been a constant menace from the sidelines.
He was pivotal in dragging Chelsea back into the contest after Burnley ace Wilson Odobert gave Vincent Kompany’s men the lead. After tying two Clarets defenders in knots with his quick feet, Sterling lashed a cross which hit Ameen Al-Dakhil on the thigh and looped over James Trafford and into the back of the net.
Twelve minutes after Cole Palmer gave Chelsea a 2-1 lead from the spot, Sterling took Conor Gallagher’s perfectly timed pass on his left foot and lashed it into the far corner. As Burnley began to tire, be burst down the left wing yet again, found Palmer at the far post, who then threaded the ball into Nicolas Jackson’s feet to place into the corner, with Chelsea running out 4-1 winners.
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