Sterling revived thanks to Pep

Scoring 2 goals and having 3 assists after the first 5 matches of the season in all tournaments for Man City, Raheem Sterling is really transforming under new coach Pep Guardiola.

"I did nothing, Sterling's talent decided everything," Pep said about Sterling, but clearly everyone can see his mark in the revival of this young star.

From the hated

Sterling has long been an unpopular figure with Premier League fans: he has been booed at almost every stadium, even at the Etihad. Perhaps his £49 million move from Liverpool to Manchester City last summer made him a traitor? Perhaps his poor form for England at EURO 2016 made him a villain? Perhaps his untidy and selfish style of play has made him whistled at home?

Raheem Sterling was once hated

But that’s all in the past. Guardiola certainly had a lot of work to do when he took over from Manuel Pellegrini in the summer, but he has spent no small amount of time rebuilding the 21-year-old’s confidence. The Catalan coach himself admitted he was in regular contact with Sterling while he was with England in France. Guardiola, among his many talents, has proven to be a master psychologist: Sterling is the type of player who needs praise, encouragement and recognition to thrive.

Pellegrini, for all his talent, is a manager who is not very close to his players. He also sees Sterling as a natural winger, something the player has admitted his first season at the Etihad has been difficult at times. Guardiola, meanwhile, has been quick to make clear his admiration for the youngster, underlining how versatile he sees Sterling as.

“Let’s be calm, it’s only two games, the season is long,” Guardiola said of Sterling after his first two Premier League games. “But the most important thing is class, and he has class. He showed it at Liverpool, and sometimes this season. He’s a good player, a real fighter, who can run for 90 minutes. He has a lot to improve, but we are here to support him.”

Become Pep's favorite student

Two goals against West Ham last weekend were Sterling’s highlight of the season. It was fitting that the midfielder’s late strike, with the game all but decided, was still symbolically important: it was enough to send City clear of rivals United and Chelsea at the top of the Premier League on goal difference. Like that goal, Sterling has been the difference for City this season.

Sterling is reviving strongly under Pep

But more important than the goals was the change in his mindset. Before Guardiola, the England midfielder worked with pure English coaches, Brendan Rodgers, then Roy Hodgson with the national team. Pellegrini was the first Latin coach Sterling worked with, but the Chilean strategist tended to favor traditional wingers, like Jesus Navas, and was not really good with young players. Guardiola, meanwhile, has all the elements to help Sterling succeed: very psychological, a master of technical play, very fond of versatile players, and especially knows how to use young players.

Sterling’s runs, dribbling, passing and even finishing are much more streamlined in Pep’s new City style, a 2-3-5 formation that many will recall Barcelona at the height of the Catalan coach’s reign. Sterling, thanks to that guidance, appears to be thinking more deeply about his own game, not just in terms of his individual play, but also in terms of integration with the new system.

Because of all that, the 2 goals against West Ham could very well just be the beginning of a new era at Etihad: The era of Pep Guardiola and Raheem Sterling./.

According to Thethaovanhoa