Raheem Sterling praises former assitant Mikel Arteta for making Arsenal more aggressive

Raheem Sterling is not surprised in the slightest that Mikel Arteta is having success as manager of Arsenal.

Pep Guardiola's former assistant will return to the Etihad on Saturday, a place where he spent more than three-and-a-half years.

The former midfielder has made a great start since taking charge of the Gunners, dramatically improving results and lifting the FA Cup.

'He's a person that had a lot of say here,' Sterling said. 'The manager trusted him here and he had a lot of influence on the players here and the team as well.

'So I knew once he went into Arsenal that it would be a great opportunity for him but also he would definitely implement what he wanted to bring in.

'And he's a person that will put his foot down and not let things slide as you can see with the boys at Arsenal. They know if they don't run they are most likely not going to play.'

Sterling says that Arsenal have always had a strong side but Arteta has challenged them to match their skill with work rate.

'You can see the change that he's brought in there, you can see the energy, you can see how much he's put into them with their off-ball work,' the City forward added.

'We all knew before Mikel got in how much good football they could play, how technically good they were but probably off the field they weren't as aggressive as they are with Mikel.

'They run their socks off now, you can see why they benefited with some good results recently.'