Gareth Southgate has selected three players from both Chelsea and Arsenal to represent England at the 2022 Qatar World Cup. Chelsea's Conor Gallagher, Mason Mount and Raheem Sterling have all been included, while Bukayo Saka, Aaron Ramsdale and Ben White were the recipients of call-ups from Arsenal.
While they have both had the same amount of players called up, their respective domestic form is at complete opposite ends of the spectrum. The Gunners are flying high five points clear at the top of the Premier League after their win against Wolves on Saturday.
Meanwhile, the Blues are languishing in eighth after suffering their third consecutive league defeat, for the first time in seven years, after another disappointing performance that saw them beaten by Newcastle, six days on from Mikel Arteta's side inflicting a defeat on Graham Potter's men.
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The six called up to England's squad will go from being Premier League rivals to team-mates over the next six weeks as Gareth Southgate attempts to go one better than last summer's European Championship final, where the Three Lions lost on penalties to Italy.
In that tournament, Southgate opted to use Raheem Sterling and Phil Foden as his wingers for much of the tournament, with Saka getting some impressive cameos. However, since the summer of 2021, Saka has improved greatly, whereas Sterling is struggling for form after joining Chelsea from Manchester City at the start of the season.
As seen by his inclusion of Harry Maguire, who has barely featured for his club this campaign, and Man City pair, Kalvin Phillips and Kyle Walker, who are both recovering from long-term injuries, Southgate is a big believer in picking players who are yet to let him down, and Sterling is certainly one of those after he scored in three separate games in the tournament.
After his recent England displays, Sterling would likely feel relatively comfortable about his place in the England team. His poor club form and the recent tantalizing displays of Saka could make it a much more difficult choice, a thought process that is also shared by former Manchester United and record England goalscorer Wayne Rooney.
"I played many games with Sterling, and he improved a lot," Rooney told The Times. "Working with Pep Guardiola at City improved him tactically, and he has become good at the simple things, which maybe he wasn't before.
"He can score goals, create goals, he's quick and can beat a man. As shown in the past two tournaments, he can be a crucial player for England.
"Saka puts Sterling under pressure, though. He plays with no fear, and we've been talking about players not being in club form, but he is the opposite: he has been in great form for Arsenal.
"They're great options for Gareth, and I think in different games, he'll change his team up. I don't think anyone could complain whichever one is chosen."
England kick off their World Cup campaign on Monday, November 21, against Iran.
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