Raheem Sterling

#PepEffect: Sterling becomes the force Manchester City bought him to be

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

foxsports

Manchester City’s Raheem Sterling has been named the Premier League’s August player of the month, as the 21-year-old has surprised with his great form for the start of the season.

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It took a bit — some time under Pep Guardiola — but Manchester City’s £49 million investment called Raheem Sterling is finally starting to show returns. Four matches, two goals and an assist later, the English winger took home the first player of the month award for the young Premier league season.

Concerning Sterling’s play, Guardiola notes, “I did nothing, I try to do the best for all the players. Raz has scored two goals, that’s good but for me the games before were more brilliant.”

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Pep has a point. Though he scored no goals, Sterling was absolutely transcendent in City’s opener against Sunderland, a constant danger on the wing. That danger morphed into terror for Steaua Bucharest in the UEFA Champions League group stage qualifiers. Likewise, Stoke City had no answer for him during the second match of the season either.

It was not until City’s 3-1 victory over West Ham United that Sterling’s form translated into putting the ball in the back of the net. On the first, he trailed behind the play before Nolito laid a ball into the middle of the Hammers’ penalty area, where Sterling finished smartly into the corner. On the other, he drew out Adrián, beat him around the touchline and squirted the ball across the goal-line at a nearly impossible angle before the defense could close it off.

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The biggest difference between this year’s Sterling, compared to previous season’s, is clearly confidence. Sterling just didn’t have it last year, but Guardiola’s presence seems to have changed things — #PepEffect.

To be fair, Sterling, for an underwhelming maiden voyage at City last year, still recorded 11 goals in 47 appearances. Though, six of those scores only came in 31 domestic league appearances, as he fell out of the first team. Anyway, If such numbers are disappointing, given his improvement in such a short time with Guardiola at the wheel, one wonders what marvels both can produce with a whole season together.

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