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Former Barcelona striker Gary Lineker praised Chelsea winger Raheem Sterling for his lovely finish against Dinamo Zagreb in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday, October 2.
The Blues are currently leading the Croatian side by a goal at halftime. They are ahead by a scoreline of 2-1 at the time of writing this piece.
Dinamo Zagreb drew first blood at Stamford Bridge in the seventh minute as Bruno Petkovic gave his team the lead on the road.
However, Sterling equalized in the 18th minute. The former Manchester City and Liverpool man latched onto a back heel from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and slotted the ball calmly to the back of the with his left foot after creating space inside the box.
The goal marked Sterling's fifth of the season in his 17th game. He has also managed to bag two assists to his name.
Gary Lineker opined that if Sterling's goal is a sign of things to come, that's good news for England. Sterling is a crucial player for Gareth Southgate's England. Hence, him coming back to form will certainly benefit the Three Lions during the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Lineker wrote on his Twitter:
"Lovely finish by @sterling7. A return to top form before the World Cup would be very welcome."
Juventus loanee Denis Zakaria then scored at the half-hour mark to give the Blues the lead.
The World Cup in Qatar is set to commence on November 20. England will take on Iran in their opening fixture on November 21. They will face the USA and Wales on November 26 and November 30, respectively.
Whether Chelsea forward Sterling can influence his national team's performances during the tournament remains to be seen.
Chelsea manager Graham Potter is not worried about Raheem Sterling's form
While many have been worried about Raheem Sterling's form, or rather the lack of it, heading into the World Cup, Chelsea manager Graham Potter is not too concerned. He believes every player goes through rough patches from time to time.
While speaking to the media ahead of hiss team's endmost UEFA Champions League game, Potter said (via football.london):
"That's your opinion, every player has times in a season where it isn't necessarily going for them as well as they'd like it to. Again, as I've mentioned before, it's too easy to zoom into the individual and you've got to look at the team and see how the team is functioning and how the team can help whatever player you mention.
"That's what we've tried to do, you have try to help the team improve and then the individuals within it can do better."
Chelsea look set to finish atop Group E in the UEFA Champions League with AC Milan in second spot.
