Arsenal already know Raheem Sterling’s North London derby guarantee after 10 second confirmation

“The first call I had with him, I knew in the first 10 seconds we had to bring him because he really wanted it.”

Mikel Arteta and Raheem Sterling are reunited at Arsenal five years after the pair worked together at Manchester City. The forward, who has scored 123 Premier League goals, joined the Gunners on deadline day to bolster Arteta’s options in attack.

The north Londoners spent a large part of the summer transfer window interested in another attacker before looking likely to stick with the crop of options in the forward line. However, Sterling’s availability from Chelsea presented a unique opportunity.

Sterling’s arrival at the Emirates Stadium makes him the most-prolific goalscorer in Arsenal’s team. The 29-year-old scored 131 goals for Man City, including 25 in his last full season working with Arteta.

Ahead of Sunday’s North London derby against Tottenham, Arsenal are faced with an unfortunate predicament. Declan Rice (suspended) is out and captain Martin Odegaard is a doubt after picking up an injury during the international break, leaving Arteta with a selection dilemma.

It’s likely that Kai Havertz will drop into the midfield role that he adjusted to so many times last season. That will leave a vacant spot in the forward line and Leandro Trossard is the favourite to come in. But there’s an argument that Sterling should be put in.

“He looks great. He’s got a lot of energy, a smile on his face and he’s at it,” Arteta said on the latest addition. “He wants to prove a point and when someone’s got that in his belly you sense it straight away.

“Obviously I don’t need to know anything else about his quality and what he can bring to the team.” He added: “What I see is hunger. He’s a player that wants to play every minute of every game.

“When that’s not the case, he’s not happy. He wants to play every single day and I see that. His commitment and the level of energy that he’s bringing to the team is a big boost. You can feel it walking through the door. We are better with him. He’s gonna make us better.

“He has this ability [to score goals] and the credit to that is him and the players he’s got around him certainly. He has that intuition and that will do that. I’m sure it’s going to help the team.”

Sterling has only scored more goals against four other clubs than Tottenham. In total, the tricky forward has scored eight times and registered another five assists against the north Londoners.

Despite joining at the end of August, Sterling is available with a point to prove. Many have questioned his quality at the top level after struggling with Chelsea but many have dismissed his constant clutch moments throughout the career.

So, why should he start at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium? First of all, Arteta has already revealed that he looks great and has something to prove. The Spaniard has been working with the former Liverpool star throughout the international break and from the clips placed in the public eye alone, he looks full of energy and a burning passion to prove his doubters wrong.

Arteta has already admitted that Arsenal are better with Sterling. The North London derby is a huge fixture with added pressure with it falling early in the football calendar. The ‘safe’ option would be to use him off the bench. However, his pedigree in the Premier League and big games could be the difference to unlock Ange Postecoglou’s defence.

Tottenham won’t know what to expect from Sterling in an Arsenal shirt. Premier League players, staff and fans all know what Sterling’s game is about, but under Arteta, a different animal could be unleashed.