Raheem Sterling past record vs Tottenham shows Arteta what Arsenal should do in North London Derby - opinion

Yesterday at 01:15 PM

To date, Raheem Sterling's time at Arsenal has been something of a conundrum.

After signing the Chelsea winger on loan, former Arsenal sporting director Edu admitted that he didn't plan to sign Sterling at the beginning of the summer transfer window.

Sterling was an opportunistic signing when it became apparent that Reiss Nelson could move to Fulham on loan, a supposed upgrade on the winger. 

Since he arrived, Sterling has played only 506 minutes for Arsenal in 12 appearances, most of which have come in the cups.

Put bluntly, Sterling expected a bigger role at Arsenal.

His 80 minutes against Manchester United in Arsenal's FA Cup defeat on Sunday felt like his most significant yet, the first proper opportunity he's had in an important fixture.

Mikel Arteta needs to take Raheem Sterling gamble for North London Derby

Reviewing Sterling's performance, it was something of a mixed bag.

The winger immediately made an impact, he clearly came on with determination to make a difference – he wasn't going to be a bystander by any means.

READ MORE: Why Arsenal fans were booing Martin Odegaard during FA Cup defeat to Man United

But it's odd to say that a 30-year-old, four time Premier League winner with 82 caps for England, looked a bit raw.

He was getting his head down and running at his fullback repeatedly, a move that worked once or twice, but was then quickly worked out by United's defenders.

Either way, Sterling deserves the chance to start against Tottenham in the North London Derby.

If it's a choice between Sterling's unpredictability or Leandro Trossard's predictable six out of 10 performance, then Mikel Arteta simply has to gamble.

Sterling might not be as astute defensively as Trossard or Gabriel Martinelli, but he's got a better record against Spurs than any other member of Arsenal's squad.

Raheem Sterling has more goals against Tottenham than any Arsenal player

Against Tottenham, Sterling has scored eight goals in 25 appearances, also assisting five times.

The winger has beaten Spurs more often than not when playing for Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea in the past, a record he added to in his 10 minutes for Arsenal during their 1-0 win away in N17 earlier this season.

At this point, it almost feels as if Arteta has little to lose, he needs to take a gamble when it comes to adding creativity and scoring power up top.

Sterling was electric at times against Crystal Palace in the Carabao Cup, even if it was a slightly incomplete performance.

But if the Chelsea winger can thrive against Tottenham, it could then inspire a run of three of four excellent performances for Sterling, which would be vital for Arteta right now.

Of course, if Sterling struggles against Spurs, there's then the option to bring Trossard on as a substitute, who arguably fares better in the role anyway.