SMILING STERLING 'HAS POINT TO PROVE'

Gunners boss Arteta sees drive in loan signing, who could make debut against Spurs

Raheem Sterling's hunger and determination to prove people wrong could be a huge benefit to Arsenal, manager Mikel Arteta said of the club's new signing ahead of the north London derby at Tottenham Hotspur.

Sterling, who has not played a single minute this season after being frozen out at Chelsea and allowed to join their big rivals on loan, could make his debut for the Gunners, who are expected to miss three key players for the vital clash on Sept 15.

"He looks great. First of all because he has a big smile on his face, a lot of energy. He's at it, and he wants to prove a point," Arteta said of the 29-year-old four-time English Premier League winner with Manchester City, in a press conference on Sept 13.

"When someone has got that in his belly, you sense it straight away. Obviously, I don't need to discover anything about his quality and what he can bring to the team.

"What I see is hunger. He is a player who wants to play every minute of every game. When that is not the case, he's not happy. He loves football, it's something he likes doing every single day and I see that." Arsenal dropped points in a home draw with Brighton and Hove Albion in their last game before the international break a match in which midfielder Declan Rice was shown a red card, meaning he will miss out against Spurs as will new signing Mikel Merino (fractured shoulder).