For those who questioned Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers for allowing winger Raheem Sterling to take a mid-season break, the answer came in one emphatic burst of pace in Tuesday’s League Cup semifinal draw with Chelsea.
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Sterling had returned from a trip to Jamaica for Saturday’s Premier League clash at Aston Villa, and was reinstated to his role as a makeshift centre forward for the first leg against league leaders Chelsea at Anfield.
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With Liverpool a goal down in the second half, after Eden Hazard’s early penalty, and becoming increasingly frustrated, the 20-year-old received the ball in Chelsea’s half.
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Sterling powered away from the chasing John Obi Mikel and Nemanja Matic and showed a clean pair of heels to Gary Cahill before finishing expertly into the corner with his left foot.
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The goal was straight from the top drawer and, with his pace and movement, the England forward was a nuisance to Chelsea’s back four for the whole 90 minutes of the 1-1 draw at Anfield.
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It was the sort of performance that made a mockery of those who claimed his manager should not have let him take a break from the stress and strain of football to rest and recuperate.
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“This is about the boy’s life and his career,” Rodgers said on Sky Sports. “People will talk about it but I’m only worried about the kid.
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“You could see tonight he was probably fresher, not so much physically but mentally. He’s had so much put on him so early in his career. There is no doubt he is an exceptional young talent.”
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2 Comments
Sterling keeps improving. The fans will be glad
The coach must just love this young man. He has done well for the club