Raheem Sterling will start on his Liverpool return – and has been backed by Manuel Pellegrini to deal with the Anfield boo-boys that will inevitably await him.
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Liverpool and Sterling’s relationship was at an all time low by the time he left the club in the summer and the fans even gave him stick towards the end of the season for wanting to leave Anfield.
The following summer he secured a starting role behind the striker in England’s initial World Cup fixtures and during the summer of 2015 he became the most expensive British footballer in history with his £49 million move from Liverpool to Manchester City.
“I don’t know at the moment what the starting XI will be tomorrow, but one player I am sure will start is Raheem Sterling”. He will play tomorrow and I am sure he will be an important player in the game.
Pellegrini has confirmed that he will play Sterling from the start this evening as the winger makes his first return to Anfield since his acrimonious £49million departure for the Etihad Stadium last July. Played in by David Silva eight yards out and central to the goal, hitting the target was easier than not.
Sterling was ridiculed by opposing fans for missing two glorious chances to wrap up Sunday’s final long before Willy Caballero became the penalty shootout hero.
Goals late in the first half from Adam Lallana and James Milner illuminated an opening period that had otherwise felt very much like a hangover from the weekend’s encounter for both teams. “It’s the revenge, its another competition, they are at home, so we are sure it will be a hard match to win but we will try to do it from the first minute”.
City have breathed fresh life into their season in the past week with an impressive Champions League win at Dynamo Kiev as well as their cup final success.
“I think we were 11th before the game and that is not us, we are not going to stop there, we are going to climb the table because it is quite tight round there from fourth to eighth or ninth”.
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The result left City 10 points behind leaders Leicester City with one game in hand, but Pellegrini has not given up hope of ending his tenure with another title. When you have to play [for] so many points I don’t think that one team can be favourites.
