Arsenal’s manager, Mikel Arteta, has openly acknowledged his regret over not using Raheem Sterling in Arsenal’s last two defeats.
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Sterling, who arrived at Arsenal on loan from Chelsea during the summer transfer window, was left on the bench during the team’s narrow 1-0 loss to Newcastle United at St. James’ Park and in their 1-0 Champions League defeat to Inter Milan at San Siro.
Arteta admitted that it was a mistake of his own making, stating, “That was a decision of mine, nothing to do with Raz. Somebody got it wrong, and it was me.”
While Sterling is ruled out of Arsenal’s next match due to ineligibility against his parent club, Chelsea, Arteta believes the forward could have made a difference in previous games. The Arsenal manager explained his choice as a tactical call at the time, though he now feels it was misguided.
“It’s the feeling that you have and the understanding of how you can damage the opponent,” Arteta said, reflecting on the situation. When asked about Sterling’s future impact on Arsenal’s season, Arteta confirmed, “Yes, he has a big role to play.”
As Arsenal continues to struggle with converting chances, Arteta highlighted the importance of goals in achieving consistent wins.
He acknowledged, “It is a concern because you need goals to win games consistently. We need to find solutions, and those solutions are ultimately goals.” Arteta emphasized that the only measure of success is seeing the ball in the net, which remains Arsenal’s key challenge moving forward.
