RAHEEM STERLING excelled as Mauricio Pochettino grabbed his first win as Chelsea boss against Luton Town on Friday night.
The Blues will face much sterner tests than this during the course of the campaign, but can be encouraged by aspects of their performance in the 3-0 win nonetheless.
Pochettino, 51, has begun the campaign setting Chelsea up in an interesting, if unexpected way.
When his opening day starting XI was announced a fortnight ago, everyone expected it to be a back three/five – with Ben Chilwell playing as a wing-back.
He was at pains to stress after the 1-1 draw, however, that he had selected the England star as a winger, and that it was a back four.
In actual fact, Chelsea have largely been utilising a fluid 4-2-3-1 system.
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Within it, Conor Gallagher and today Moises Caicedo have been deployed as the deepest lying midfielders, with Enzo Fernandez playing slightly higher up, almost as a No10.
The clever Argentine has been playing more on the left than the right, with Sterling finding plenty of space to attack on the right.
Last season Sterling was forced to play in a variety of different roles, including up front, and only managed six goals in 28 Premier League appearances during a disappointing campaign for all involved at Stamford Bridge.
On the evidence of the first three matches of this campaign, he will far exceed that tally this time around.
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What was encouraging for Blues fans is that the former Manchester City star was finding himself in pockets of space in the attacking third.
He was also able to link up well with impressive Reece James deputy Malo Gusto against Luton, as well as the trio of technically gifted midfielders; Fernandez, Caicedo and Gallagher.
Sterling’s first goal came from a piece of individual brilliance, his slaloming run and low finish providing clear evidence of his improved confidence.
His second was instinctive, finishing Gusto’s impressive cut-back, the sort he often used to receive at City, with aplomb first time.
He then even set up Jackson for a tap in, finding space down the right flank before crossing for the 22-year-old to score.
Sterling could be seen conversing with Pochettino on the touchline during breaks in play, and the two have clearly quickly forged a strong bond.
Last week, Pochettino said of his No7: “We were talking a lot this week and we trust him. He’s a player that can deliver what we want.”
While a 3-0 August win over Luton will not be season-defining, the performances of Sterling could be.
And Pochettino will be thrilled with what he has so far been able to get out of potentially his new favourite player.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
