Chelsea: Raheem Sterling faces fan test but he's far from the biggest problem

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Whether right or wrong, Raheem Sterling has lost large sections of the Chelsea fanbase.

The 29-year-old was booed off on a difficult afternoon at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, and changing their opinion of him will not be easy.

Privately, Sterling acknowledges he was poor against Leicester. He missed a penalty, wasted a one-on-one chance and blazed a free-kick high over the bar before he was substituted.

Sterling on Sunday night moved to say sorry to supporters, posting on Instagram: “Apologies for the penalty miss. I’ll be back 10 times stronger to help the team win and continue to fight for the badge every single day.”

But he must feel like he is trying to win over a group of fans who have never made him feel welcome since his £47.5million move from Manchester City in 2022.

His situation is a curious one, given his eight goals and seven assists this season. Those numbers put him third among the most impactful forwards at Chelsea, behind Nicolas Jackson and new talisman Cole Palmer. Sterling has also won more penalties than any other player in the league this season.

On Sunday, his decision to take the penalty he won in the first half put him in the firing line. Sterling took the ball off Palmer, who has scored all five of his penalties for Chelsea and never missed in nine attempts in his professional career.

He then proceeded to tamely strike the ball straight at Leicester goalkeeper Jakub Stolarczyk, meaning he has now missed five of his nine career penalties.

Many saw his decision to take the ball from Palmer as selfish, but it was also a problem of Mauricio Pochettino’s making. The Argentine has not set a designated penalty taker and lets his players decide on the pitch.

Palmer also holds no ill-will towards Sterling. He is also grateful that Sterling, who mentored him at Manchester City, initially let him take penalties against Burnley and Arsenal to open his Chelsea account earlier this season. His first four goals came from the spot, sparking a brilliant debut season in which he now has 14 goals and 12 assists.

Besides the penalty situation, Sterling has been a decent performer this campaign.

Besides the penalty situation, Sterling has been a decent performer this campaign

He has played better than most of the squad, barring Palmer and potentially Malo Gusto and Conor Gallagher, but his £300,000-a-week wages are used as a stick to beat him with.

It is the same for £100m-plus midfield duo Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez but, like Sterling, it is not their fault Chelsea overpaid to sign them.

Sterling is far from Chelsea’s biggest problem. With two-and-a-half years left on his contract, he is unlikely to be going anywhere soon, so making his move work could be key to Chelsea’s success in the next few seasons.

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