Manchester City lifted their first ever Premier League title in 2012 in the most dramatic and unprecedented circumstances in the history of the competition, but they struggled to build upon their achievement the following season.
Indeed, City encountered problems as they sought to retain their title, and they faced their first major bump in the road when they faced Liverpool in August 2012.
Roberto Mancini and Brendan Rodgers pitted their wits against one another at Anfield towards the end of August, and the Liverpool chief made a selection decision which very few saw coming.
Rodgers included 17-year-old Raheem Sterling in the starting line-up for the highly-anticipated fixture, and it’s fair to say a star was born at Anfield that day.
Showcasing a fearless attitude to dribbling with the ball at his feet, which he combined to brilliant effect with his blistering pace, Sterling caused the champions all kinds of problems in the 2-2 draw.
It was a performance which hinted that he was a wonderkid with every chance of climbing to the very top of European football, so it was only natural that widespread hype greeted his captivating performance.
Here’s what the Liverpool fans had to say about Sterling’s first ever Premier League start:
Raheem sterling's the next big thing for Liverpool I reckon, saw his own dad die aswell.. Respect
— Chris Cullen (@ChrisCullenn) August 26, 2012
Raheem Sterling & Joe Allen really surprised me today. Top players.
— BettingOdds (@BettingOddsUK) August 26, 2012
Raheem Sterling > Stewart Downing
— Maxwell (@1MaxwellHT) August 26, 2012
Well done Raheem Sterling! He was my man of the match…
— 🅰️ (@aledaw96) August 26, 2012
Raheem Sterling looks decent…Liverpool don't.
— Sunit Mistry (@Sun_Mistry15) August 26, 2012
Normal service resumes at Anfield today. What a great performance. Raheem Sterling looks a real talent. #BrightFuture
— Tom Lister 💙 (@tomlister) August 26, 2012
Credit were credits due Brendan Rodgers, he cant account for human error, Superb decision to include Raheem Sterling. Onwards & upwards.
— LiverpoolFC (@LFC5timesNews) August 26, 2012
Raheem sterling is some boy top performance
— Carl O'Dwyer (@carlodwyer1234) August 26, 2012
Raheem Sterling is an absolute gem, performing like that at 17 against the champions? Quality. Joe Allen, very impressive too.
— Kirsty (@LFCKirstyLFC) August 26, 2012
Well, Liverpool supporters know all too well how events unfolded in the years which have followed, and it’s fair to say the initial hype surrounding his first start has been thoroughly justified by his meteoric rise.
Those who predicted Sterling to reach the top of the game in 2012 were absolutely spot on, as the now 23-year-old has blossomed into a goal machine at club level, clinching the Premier League title and two League Cup trophies in the process.
Plenty of wonderkids come along and hint that they are destined to become the next big thing in Premier League football but, unlike countless others who have faded into obscurity, Sterling has developed into a world class talent in little over six years.
