Chelsea forward Raheem Sterling is confident that his form will turnaround over time following a difficult transitioning period with the Blues.
Sterling has appeared 17 times for Chelsea in all competitions since his £47.5 million move from Manchester City in the summer and has scored five goals. His equalising goal in Wednesday's 2-1 Champions League win over Dinamo Zagreb was his first since the end of August after the forward failed to find the back of the net under Graham Potter.
Potter has struggled to fit the England international into his plans after arriving at the club with the idea of implementing a 5-2-2-1 used throughout his opening 10 games. In the club's first defeat under Potter against Brighton, Sterling vacated the left wing-back position behind the more advanced Conor Gallagher and Mason Mount. It didn't go to plan and Chelsea were thrashed 4-1.
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Ahead of today's crunch Premier League clash with Arsenal, the Blues top scorer has admitted his displeasure at his own performances this season and has promised 'better performances' in blue. "There's been early parts of the season that I was not happy with my performances," he told the Chelsea official website.
"So far I've been nowhere near the level that I need to be but I'm sure that will come as time passes.
"It's not something that I'm panicking or stressed about. It's part of the game. We're in a decent position in the table, we've qualified for the Champions League, but there will be better performances from myself in the near future."
After returning to his preferred position in attack in midweek, the former Manchester City man has acknowledged his role within Potter's team and has insisted he is happy to take up whatever role is required of him.
"You come to a new team, there’s different things that are going to be asked of you and it’s a different shape. I haven’t played in a back five for a while, but it’s something the manager’s asked me to do and something that I’m more than happy to do as well.
"When we’ve got the ball I’m high and wide but of course you have to defend as well, that’s part of the game. The more time I have to figure it out in this position the better I will do.
"I feel my best position is as a winger, but like anything the manager has his way of playing. He’s not had a full pre-season with us, he was dropped in in the middle of a storm really. He came in and I think he’s grabbed it with both hands and he’s trying to figure out the best personnel for positions and I’m sure with time it will come together nicely.
"The manager has been putting his touch on the team and we’ve been learning from him, trying to get to how he wants us to work. When you’re trying new things, sometimes these things can happen. The more time we have with him, the more we can be on the training pitch and see how he wants to work, the better it will be.
"The manager came in at a difficult period. We just built on some good performances, scraped through on some performances as well. Like anything, these things take time. I didn’t come here with just this season in mind, I came here on the vision that the club had and I’m really focused in on that vision and I know that we will get there."
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