‘Best player on the pitch’: Peter Crouch waxes lyrical about ‘fantastic’ Chelsea star that’s really impressed him

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Peter Crouch hailed Raheem Sterling last night for another impressive performance in Chelsea colours.

Sterling, who’s settled very quickly at Stamford Bridge following his summer arrival from Manchester City, scored for the Blues in a 1-1 draw against Red Bull Salzburg on Wednesday.

Graham Potter avoided defeat during his first game in charge as Chelsea’s new head coach, but the result in the Champions League group stages means there’s a lot of work to be done if they’re to qualify for the knockouts.

Peter Crouch hailed Raheem Sterling

BT Sport pundit Crouch highlighted Sterling for immense praise yesterday:

“He’s a top player… He was the best player on the pitch… It was a fantastic performance from him. I’m not sure if he’ll stay there (at wing-back) for the whole season, but he’s more than capable of doing that,” Crouch told BT Sport 3 (10:20pm, 14 September).

Despite playing in an unfamiliar wing-back position, Sterling still had a massive impact against Salzburg.

The 27-year-old scored superbly when his side-footed shot curled into the net, leaving him with four goals in eight appearances so far this season.

Therefore, it’s no surprise to see the England and Chelsea regular receive an international call-up from Gareth Southgate on Thursday.

His wing-back role allowed him to play more like a traditional winger to get at last night’s opponents, with Potter expressing his delight at his performance.

Chelsea top scorers

It makes for worrying reading when you see Sterling is the only player in the Chelsea squad to score more than one goal so far this campaign.

He’s running away with the club’s golden boot race at this early stage with four goals. Meanwhile, Ben Chilwell, Reece James, Kai Havertz, Kalidou Koulibaly and Jorginho have all contributed a goal each.

If the Blues are to enjoy a successful year, they simply need others to start delivering more goals.

Let’s hope Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang can find his goalscoring boots when he’s fully up to speed, plus there’s a lot of promise from young striker Armando Broja. Also, Mason Mount is still trying to get back to the kind of form he’s shown in recent years.

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