Raheem Sterling was sensational as Chelsea overcame the threat of newly-promoted Luton Town on Friday evening with the winger scoring twice and assisting once in the victory
On 94 minutes of Chelsea's 3-0 win against Luton Town, there was a special moment at Stamford Bridge.
Raheem Sterling, who has not always been the home crowd's favourite player since signing last summer for £50million, received a resounding standing ovation in west London. The 28-year-old dazzled against the Hatters to help the Blues pick up their first victory of the new season. The first win of the Mauricio Pochettino era.
Sterling got a deserved ovation from a joyous home crowd who had just seen their side pick up a rare home win. Their first since way back in March, in fact, and it was largely due to the England international's contribution on the night.
In the early embers of the game, Sterling picked up the ball on the right-hand side of the pitch, drove at a cautious Luton defence who were wary of sticking a foot in and giving away a penalty, and found a way through before calmly slotting it, left-footed, into the bottom corner. It was a moment of pure genius from Sterling, who just five days before, set the London Stadium alight with a superb display despite Chelsea being beaten by their city rivals.
He continued to look Chelsea's biggest threat for the remainder of the first-half but despite going ahead quite early on, the Blues were unable to find a second goal until the 68th minute at Stamford Bridge. The stadium had seen this all before: Chelsea controlling the game but not killing it off and then being made to pay for their missed opportunities.
However, Sterling was not going to let that be the case. Not this Raheem Sterling. Last season's Sterling might've. But no chance this time around.
Malo Gusto was fed through on the right-hand side by Moises Caicedo and the French right-back, who made his second successive start because of Reece James' injury, picked out an unmarked Sterling inside the area. The in-form attacker obviously found the back of the net with a composed strike into the bottom corner. Relief was evident, but Sterling was inevitable.
"It was a bit of frustration from last season, for myself personally, because I felt like I was always coming with my back to goal," Sterling said to Sky Sports reporters Kelly Cates, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville after the game. "[I was] a bit deep and I wasn't giving myself enough chance to come towards the box and I had a conversation with the gaffer earlier, last week, and we went through the role and I know exactly what he needs from me. I need to get on the back foot and drive at players and get on it, and that's when I'm most effective.
"Mindset-wise, I came in a difficult period. Excuses, that's all finished. I've had a look at myself. I'm a person who always tries to look at what I'm doing, analyse myself and what I'm doing. I want to get back with being obsessed with football, football 24/7 – it's as simple as that.
"As I said in the first game against Liverpool, I felt like I was inside the pocket too much and that was my feeling all of last season that I was too deep and I'd play the ball to the full-backs. We had a simple conversation and he said: 'Raheem, it doesn't matter where you play, if you apply it and you're dynamic and aggressive, then nobody can stop you, it doesn't matter if you're on the left, right or centre – just be aggressive with the ball'. I have that desire and hunger to do that."
That chat with Pochettino not only highlights his tactical brain but also his famed man-management skills that were spoken so much about when he was appointed head coach. The Argentine has found a way to get one of the country's best attacking players firing again and that's testament to them both.
When he was brought off in stoppage time, the Sky Sports cameras cut to Todd Boehly, who was sitting in the directors' box with new signing Romeo Lavia. The club's co-chairman was on his feet clapping along with the rest of the fans in attendance. He was clearly taken away by Sterling's performance. It's about time.
Sterling is bound to get a rest in midweek with Chelsea likely to use their big squad in the Carabao Cup second round tie against AFC Wimbledon. The Jamaican-born winger should then be the first name on the team sheet, alongside the absolutely majestic Enzo Fernandez, when Nottingham Forest travel down to west London next weekend.
"Just getting started," was the tweet from Sterling at 10:38pm last night.