Could Cole Palmer Replace Raheem Sterling?

This is a guest post from Alan.

Whilst Micah Richards may have coined the phrase “burst on to the scene” for how he broke through several years ago into City’s side and established himself in our defence, it would be fair to say that Cole Palmer has certainly grabbed the attention of the Blues’ faithful in recent weeks.

A starring role in the home win over Everton, in which he featured as a false nine, impressing with his touch, movement and ability to link up with those around him, followed in the footsteps of an assured starting role away to West Ham in the Carabao Cup, despite City’s defeat in that game.

There has been noise around Palmer and his potential for some time now, but even a few months ago as the season was starting, few would have expected him to feature regularly in Pep Guardiola’s matchday squads.

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But now, thanks to a couple of injuries in attacking areas, and his own irrefutable quality, Palmer has become a viable option for the manager as the season heads into a congested space. His versatility and footballing intelligence, affording him to the opportunity to play in all three attacking roles as well as operate from midfield, will help him secure more first-team minute over the coming months.

One more established star who may be looking over his shoulder at Palmer’s emergence is Raheem Sterling. From one of Guardiola’s key lieutenants just a year or so ago, Sterling has drifted down the pecking order and his appearance in starting XIs these days owes more to other being rested or unavailable than a sign of his own leading performance.

Hesitancy on the ball, wayward decision making and an absence of goals and assists where they used to be commonplace mean that Sterling has dropped down below the likes of Phil Foden and Jack Grealish for a starting berth on the left of City’s attack. That’s not to write him off – his workrate and pace will always be attractive assets and he will fight to regain his place in the side – but at this moment in time, many fans are looking towards the future and the excitement of Palmer breaking through with far more enthusiasm.