We knew he was in decline, that was why we celebrated the fact it was a loan signing with Chelsea still paying the bulk of his wages.
We can celebrate those things all the more now.
By now Arteta's willingness to give Sterling his chance reflects his playing history and seniority in the squad more than anyone's expectations. Given how comprehensively useless he's been, I doubt we'll see too much more of Sterling even with these injuries. But I also doubt we'll give Merino starts up front, I think his limits as a forward will stand out if we do.
