Sterling, who was one of Chelsea's few shining lights in the team's opening 1-1 draw with Liverpool and 3-1 loss to West Ham United last week, was at his best as he led the Blues to their first victory under new manager Pochettino.
After struggling to find consistent form for much of his time at Chelsea since coming from Manchester City in July last year, the 28-year-old has prospered under the Argentine boss, who took over last month.
Pochettino told reporters that he deserves all credit for his effort because of his dedication to the way he wants to contribute to the squad and his exceptional work ethic.
Mauricio Pochettino on Raheem Sterling:
— Absolute Chelsea (@AbsoluteChelsea) August 25, 2023
“His commitment in the way he wants to contribute to the team, working really hard and his quality. He deserves full credit for his performance, we are very pleased…”
[via @scott_trotter]
"I'm overjoyed for him. He informed me that last season was challenging for him, but I am always thrilled when a player is happy. And it's the nicest feeling for us when an attacking player scores or assists."
Sterling stated he and Pochettino had discussed Sterling's future. He also assisted striker Nicolas Jackson for Chelsea's third goal.
Raheem included, I love to ask what position they love to play, how they feel, and how they perceive themselves in our initial chat, Pochettino said.
Wednesday's league cup match against Wimbledon comes before Chelsea's return to league play against Nottingham Forest on September 2.
According to sky sports, pochettino said: "I'm happy because the first victory is always very important." The performance was outstanding. I think we required that in order to have confidence and trust in what we were doing.