Raheem Sterling admitted his Arsenal loan spell has not gone how he’d hoped but is ready to kick on and impress Mikel Arteta in the closing stages of the season.
The 30-year-old was an unusued substitute on the weekend as Arsenal drew 1-1 with Manchester United but made a rare start on Wednesday as the Gunners faced PSV Eindhoven at the Emirates.
And Sterling seized his opportunity on the night, notching up two assists in a 2-2 draw as Arsenal completed a comprehensive 9-3 aggregate win to set up a quarter-final tie with defending champions Real Madrid.
The Englishman teed up Oleksandr Zinchenko’s long-range effort after just six minutes before whipping in a delightful cross for Declan Rice to head home later in the first half.
It was hoped that a loan move to the Emirates would provide valuable depth for Arteta and help the winger force his way back into the England set-up.
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However, despite key injuries to Arsenal’s forward line, Sterling has featured sparingly this season and started just four games in the Premier League all season.
But after his man-of-the-match display in Europe, Sterling is confident he can kick on and play a bigger role in Arteta’s side towards the end of the season.
‘It was nice and I should have had a goal as well,’ he told TNT Sports. ‘It was nice to be out there and contribute to the team. It was just to play my game and be dynamic. I tried to do that.
‘I know what I am capable of. You just want to be playing. You are at a top club with top players and you just have to wait for your moment. And that is what I am doing. I am still faithful that I have still got a big part to play.
‘You can only control what you can control. I have not had as many minutes as I would have liked, but I have had the opportunities.
‘It is down to myself to keep knocking at the door. I believe within myself that I have a lot to play here whether it is 10 minutes, 45 or a start. I just need to be ready and try and help the team as much as possible.
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‘With a leader like Mikel, he is not somebody where I want to physically be knocking on his door. He is the one in charge.
‘All I can do is on the training field or on the pitch. It is down to me to push and have it in his thought process.’
Arsenal now turn their attentions back to the league as they look to claw back ground on Liverpool’s 15-point lead at the top of the table.
Sterling will be ineligible to play on Sunday against his parent club Chelsea, but he is confident that his side have the right mentality to make up ground in the title race and not roll over for Arne Slot’s side.
‘When you have a leader like we do with the manager he has a tight knit group. You can feel it,’ he added.
‘From minute one I could sense a top-club mentality. Yes we are a few points behind but there are all different circumstances but I think the boys have done really well and in the last bit of the season to give it a right push.’
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