England drop Raheem Sterling for Euro Qualifier over Joe Gomez bust-up

It’s been two days, but the drama continues to boil over from the Liverpool vs Manchester City fixture on Sunday. Amid the controversy surrounding a couple of handball decisions in the game, another controversy has erupted in the aftermath of Liverpool’s 3-1 win over their title rivals. This one, however, involves former Liverpool player Raheem Sterling.

Here’s a little context before we delve into the Raheem Sterling-Joe Gomez matter. Sterling was greeted with boos every time he received the ball at Anfield during Sunday’s game. With Liverpool going 2-0 up 13 minutes into the game, it was understandable that pressure was piling on the Manchester City players. In the first half, Sterling was adjudged to have fouled Mohamed Salah; a decision which left Sterling frustrated. Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson too was surprised by Sterling’s reaction to the minor incident.

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With Liverpool on the brink of their 11th victory in the Premier League this season, Jurgen Klopp decided to replace Salah with centre-back, Joe Gomez. Late in the game, Joe Gomez tried to shield the ball from Raheem Sterling on the byline. With the clock running down, Sterling was having none of it and decided to try and steal the ball from Gomez with a touch of aggression. Gomez appeared to turn around and shove the Manchester City winger, which, once again, left Sterling furious. But that wasn’t the end of their feud.

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Raheem Sterling loses his cool

Both Raheem Sterling and Joe Gomez were called up to the England squad for England's Euro qualifier against Montenegro. Reports indicate that Gomez is known to have greeted the Manchester City forward in the players’ canteen at St. George’s Park. Reportedly, Sterling then reacted aggressively to Gomez’s greeting. Sterling is then reported to have attempted to grab Gomez by the neck, and the pair had to be separated by the rest of the England players, who initially thought Sterling was joking.

The incident has reportedly surprised the rest of the Liverpool contingent in the England squad. The Liverpool players were under the impression that the pair had made their peace after the final whistle. While the exact cause of Raheem Sterling’s eruption is not known, his reaction may have been a result of the criticism directed at the Manchester City winger for coming off second-best in the pair’s physical confrontation during the Liverpool vs Manchester City game.

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