Why Raheem Sterling could be Chelsea's most important player this season

By his own admission, Raheem Sterling endured a difficult debut season at Chelsea. 

One of numerous signings in summer 2022 as Todd Boehly unleashed his scattergun on the transfer market, Sterling was below par for most of the campaign. His nine goal involvements - six goals, three assists - in the Premier League made it his worst season statistically since 2015/16, his first at Manchester City. 

"Personally, this is one of the lowest points in my career," he told Sky Sports in early May, when Chelsea were well on their way to a 12th-place finish.  

"This might sound a bit weird, but it is also a great learning curve. It's been pretty smooth sailing winning, winning and winning [at Manchester City] but sometimes in life stuff gets thrown at you and it is a challenge that I'm looking forward to, hitting it head on and not trying to hide from it. 

"It will only make me stronger and also the group stronger. These challenges, not in just football but life as well, it's crucial to how we deal with things and how we kick on after." 

Kick on he has. Sterling was sensational in his side's 4-1 victory over Burnley on Saturday, as Chelsea made it three wins on the bounce in all competitions for the first time since March. 

The England international, who was again left out of Gareth Southgate's squad for the upcoming games against Australia and Italy, had a hand in all four Chelsea goals at Turf Moor. 

For Chelsea’s first, an equaliser after Burnley opened the scoring, Sterling tricked his way past Mike Tresor and Vitinho, then saw his cross deflected into the net by Ameen Al Dakhil.  

In the 50th minute he showed there is more than one way to skin a full-back. This time the forward relied on speed and directness to get past Vitinho, who brought him down just inside the penalty area. Cole Palmer converted the spot-kick. 

Sterling added his own name to the scoresheet shortly after, driving a left-footed finish past James Trafford in the Burnley goal. Finally, he set Chelsea on the attack down the left flank, crossing for Palmer who in turn teed up Nicolas Jackson for the fourth. 

Burnley were once again too open defensively, but this was still one of the best individual displays from an attacker we have seen in this Premier League season so far. Unsurprisingly, he was WhoScored’s player of the match with a rating of 8.33. None of his Chelsea teammates had more dribbles (2) or shots (3). 

Sterling could prove to be one of Chelsea’s most important players this term. Mauricio Pochettino’s squad is the youngest in the division. Sterling might only be 28 - even if it feels like he has been around forever - but he has plenty of experience under his belt. His appearance against Burnley was his 356th in the Premier League. Of active outfielders, only James Milner, Ashley Young, Kyle Walker and Jonny Evans have more. 

Crucially, that experience and knowhow has not come at the expense of his physical attributes. Sterling put some of his struggles last season down to a new diet that caused him to carry more weight. He looks leaner now and against Burnley he was as sharp as ever. 

It is not just the acceleration or quickness of feet that impresses. Ever since his early days at Liverpool, Sterling has demonstrated an understanding of the game that sets him - and others like Bukayo Saka - apart from many other skilful wingers. We saw further evidence of his intelligence on Saturday, as Sterling’s movement helped him get the better of the hapless Vitinho time and time again. 

Sterling’s versatilty is another asset, particularly as Pochettino is still searching for the right blend in attack. He began the season playing on the right but was used on the left at the weekend. Sterling has also played as a No.10 and could even be deployed up top. 

Chelsea have a tough run coming up: after the international break they must face seven of last season’s top nine in succession. But with Sterling in this sort of form, Chelsea have a chance against anyone.