Raheem Sterling put on an incredible performance to help 10 Men Chelsea record a 2-1 victory over Leicester City.
The 27-year-old netted not once but twice in front of passionate Chelsea fans at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea had Conor Gallagher sent off in the 28th minute of the first half. The red card to Gallagher did not drain the team’s confidence, but they pushed harder to record their second win of the season and their first home victory of the season.
Sterling had lavish praises on Chelsea’s performance and admitted that the squad showed passion and commitment on Saturday at the Bridge.
What were Raheem Sterling’s remarks on Chelsea’s performance against Leicester City?
After producing a man of the match against Leicester City, The 28-year-old told reporters after the game, saying: “It was a massive three points and one that we needed, especially off the back of last weekend [defeat to Leeds].
“Even going down to 10 men, the boys showed a lot of passion and commitment to get the job done and it was a good win for us. It was a big team performance and everyone played their part.
“It’s always difficult when you go down to 10 men, but it just showed how hard the boys worked for victory.
“The defenders were excellent in stopping Leicester and that ran right through the team. Everybody worked hard for one another and you could see how much it meant to all the boys.
“It’s teams that win games and everyone pulled their weight today. Edou [Mendy] made some big saves and Kai [Havertz] led from the front, working his socks off to defend high up the pitch.”
The England international admitted that getting the three points was more important than personal glories as Raheem Sterling was close to scoring this third on the night.
The Chelsea attacker added:: “It would have been nice to get a hat-trick, but I have to say it was a great save from their goalkeeper.
“I think he just got his studs on the ball to turn it onto the post. It’s something I just have to take. It’s a game of small margins. It wasn’t to be, but the most important thing is we got a good win in a what was a tough game against a tough opponent.”
Thomas Tuchel also was impressed with Raheem Sterling’s performance and showed that he always expected to score and create more chances.
“It was needed. We need him to score. It’s what he does and he will score,” Tuchel told reporters.
“I could feel he wasn’t happy. He wants to score more and have more chances. So we played in a more aggressive shape in the first half for 25 minutes and then we were a man down, so we needed him to step up. He did, and he did what he always does. He will score, I’m convinced, and he will create chances. The goals were crucial today because they gave us belief and the boost that it was possible. They handled the win.”
