Raheem Sterling shows his class by ignoring Mauricio Pochettino request against Man City

Raheem Sterling decided to ignore Mauricio Pochettino's pre-match request after he scored the opener for Chelsea in their clash against former club Manchester City.

The 29-year-old England international, who joined the West London club from Premier League champions City for £47.5 million, returned to the Etihad on Saturday night.

And just before the half-time break, Sterling cut back inside after a great pass from Nicolas Jackson before giving his side the lead with a neat finish from close range.

Sterling refused to celebrate his first goal at the Etihad since leaving in 2022 – a gesture of respect that may have raised brought questions from manager Mauricio Pochettino.

Ahead of Saturday's much-anticipated clash in Manchester, the Argentine manager was asked about Sterling and Palmer potentially scoring at their old stomping ground.

“When you score, it’s the most beautiful feeling," he said. “It’s hard to keep that in your body and not celebrate when you play for a different team.

"You showed respect when you were there, you gave everything to the club, the badge and the people but when you defend another badge, you need to celebrate because you are part of another history.”

Despite being told he 'needed' to celebrate, Sterling went against those instructions.

Speaking to Sky Sports in his post-match interview, he explained why he didn't celebrate fully.

"I scored and scoring is a good feeling," Sterling said. "You remember it's your old club so don't try to overdo it. I had a great time at City, people know what I can do."

Raheem Sterling strikes against Manchester City for the SECOND time this season ⚡🔵 pic.twitter.com/Zrs7sAtB2J

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) February 17, 2024

After the full-time whistle, Pochettino praised the forward's performance as the Blues walked away with a hard-fought point.

"It’s important, his experience and of course an offensive player needs to score to feel confidence and he was working really hard for the team," he said.

"He defended well, he was always in the right position to help the team when needing to make the effort, being in a position to help the defensive line and [Ben] Chilwell.

"Yes, so important performance. So happy and he is helping to achieve a good point for us."