Liverpool’s one-time hero is FALLING APART ahead of Reds reunion | OneFootball

The Arsenal game on Sunday is certainly a pivotal top of the table clash, with Liverpool able to go seven points clear of the Gunners with a win.

Arsenal are apparently going to have a weakened starting XI, with William Saliba serving a ban for a red card, alongside injuries to Bukayo Saka, Riccardo Calafiori, Martin Ødegaard and Jurrien Timber.

It was the Saka injury that saw former Reds winger Raheem Sterling brought into the Arsenal lineup, and it seems like he may be involved in another return to Anfield much more substantially than was expected.

Sterling has only been on the pitch for 248 of a possible 900 minutes since joining the club, notching one goal and one assist in that time in a 5-1 League Cup demolition of League One side Bolton Wanderers.

Is Raheem Sterling still a threat to Liverpool?

The drop-off for Sterling has been alarming to witness as he remained a more than serviceable starter in his last season at Manchester City.

But two seasons at Chelsea have clearly worked against him, only scoring 19 times in 81 appearances for the Blues. He was eventually forced out of the club by new manager Enzo Maresca, who deemed him surplus to plans.

Whilst he won’t regret leaving Anfield due to the amount of success he enjoyed at Manchester City, there will certainly be an emotional aspect when facing his first professional club.

If deployed on Arsenal’s right hand side in lieu of Saka, Sterling will battle Andy Robertson. Robertson was given some difficulty by Noni Madueke against Chelsea last weekend but it was nothing that the Scottish captain couldn’t stop turning into a goal.

If Sterling isn’t able to find a high enough level, similar to that we have been used to from him for so many years, Liverpool should be able to find joy when defending down that side.

With so many injuries, Arsenal may revert back to their much-seen tactic of sitting behind the ball using extensive centre-backs and defensive midfielders to try and quell Liverpool's dynamic attack, before launching explosive counter-attacking opportunities.

Sterling will be relied upon to use his pace and dribbling ability to exploit these if so. It will be down to Liverpool's league-leading defence to ensure he doesn't manage it.