Alan Smith thought Chelsea winger Raheem Sterling was his side’s standout player in the first half of their game against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Raheem Sterling had a great chance to score or set up Cole Palmer but wasted the opportunity after shooting straight at Jose Sa.
Other than that, though, Alan Smith was really impressed with what he saw from the 29-year-old while covering the game for Sky Sports (24/12/2023 at 13:28).
Sterling has been a key attacker for Mauricio Pochettino this season, appearing in all 18 of Chelsea‘s Premier League fixtures so far.
Alan Smith hails Raheem Sterling as Chelsea’s standout player
For Smith, Sterling was Chelsea’s shining light in the first 45 minutes of their clash against Wolves, though the former Arsenal striker will feel that he should have done better with the big chance he had.
“Raheem Sterling has been Chelsea’s standout player so far,” Smith said.
“He’s started really well. Does he fancy the free-kick now? He has been really lively, Raheem Sterling — playing with a lot of confidence.”
Raheem Sterling has been one of Chelsea’s best players this season
Sterling’s end product has been lacking at times during the current campaign, with the opportunity he missed during the first half being the perfect example.
However, overall, the England international has still been an important asset to the club.
It was his assist that helped Chelsea to take the lead in their 4-1 win against Tottenham Hotspur in November, while he also managed to score in the 4-4 draw with Manchester City shortly after.
As a £50m forward (BBC Sport), supporters would have expected a bit better from him when he was presented with that chance to score against Wolves in the first half. It shows that while Sterling has done well this term, there is still much room for improvement.
Enzo Fernandez recently praised his team-mate for being so effective in one-v-one situations against defenders.
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