A former Arsenal player believes that the current manager, Mikel Arteta, does not have faith in a specific player.

Former Arsenal player Jermaine Pennant believes that Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has some trust issues with one of his players. It's no secret that the Gunners are aiming to win their first Premier League title since 2004, and Arteta has been leading the team towards that goal with back-to-back near misses. Currently, they are in third place, just two points behind Chelsea and four points behind Liverpool, who still have a game in hand. In an effort to take the team to the next level and finally lift the Premier League trophy, Arteta made some significant signings last summer. These included making David Raya's loan move permanent, as well as bringing in Riccardo Calafiori from Italy and Mikel Merino from Spain for a total of £75m. The most surprising addition was that of Raheem Sterling, who joined on a season-long loan from Chelsea in hopes of reviving his career after being told to leave by new manager Enzo Maresca.

Unfortunately, Sterling has not been able to secure a regular spot in the starting lineup under Arteta, starting only two league games so far. Pennant believes this is a clear indication that Arteta doesn't trust him and doubts that he will be able to turn his Arsenal career around. "Against Everton, when the team needed a spark, he was left on the bench. He's getting overlooked for younger talent," Pennant expressed in an interview with Instant Casino. "There's no doubt that he's a great player, but he's not getting any younger. I don't think he will be seen in an Arsenal shirt too often again, although I don't think his contract will be terminated due to his past contributions in the Premier League."

Sterling's struggles at Arsenal have only worsened with a recent knee injury that will keep him out of the game for a few weeks. Arteta addressed this issue in a press conference before the team's match against Ipswich Town, stating that they would have to wait for further testing to determine the extent of the injury. He also mentioned that Sterling's absence will be felt for a while. This injury setback comes after Arsenal legend Ian Wright admitted that Sterling's signing "has not worked." "He's not even getting a chance to play when the team is struggling to score," Wright commented on his podcast, Wrighty's House. "I was really excited about his potential addition, especially when you consider how successful Jesus and Martinelli were last season with a combined total of ten goals. But for some reason, it just hasn't worked out."

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