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During Arsenal vs. Atalanta, Raheem Sterling breaks the Champions League record right away
The winger, who is on loan from London rivals Chelsea to the Gunners, made his debut on Sunday in their 1-0 victory over Tottenham.In addition, Sterling was brought on in the second half of the goalless draw against Atalanta, Arsenal’s first away Champions League encounter of the season, by manager Mikel Arteta.
And the 29-year-old accomplished a record by taking the field at the Gewiss Stadium after 72 minutes had passed.
In the Champions League’s history, Sterling is the first player to represent four different English teams.In the group stage, Liverpool defeated Ludogorets 2-0 at home in 2014, marking his debut with the team.
Before joining Manchester City the following year, he made just six Champions League appearances for the Reds.
Sterling has played in 67 games for City, scoring 24 goals in competition since his debut in a 3-1 victory over Sevilla in November 2015.
They lost 1-0 to Chelsea, for whom he signed in 2022, despite his assistance getting them to their first final in 2021.During his rookie season, the winger made nine appearances for the Blues in the Champions League, scoring three goals and providing one assist.
Now, Sterling has made a historic entry into the competition for Arsenal, who are hoping to improve on their previous season’s quarterfinal exit.
Four-time Premier League champion Sterling is also chasing an elusive first Champions League. He signed with Chelsea two years after they won their second trophy, and City won their first the following season.When Sterling found colleague Gabriel Martinelli with a through pass, the Brazilian almost immediately made an impact, but he missed the mark with his shot over the Atalanta crossbar.
However, David Raya gave Arsenal a huge break early in the second half when he stopped a penalty kick by Mateo Retegui and then nailed the rebound.
Arsenal’s next two league games will be against Paris Saint-Germain and Shakhtar Donetsk, respectively, following their meeting against Atalanta.
November will see trips to Inter Milan and Sporting Lisbon, with a home game against Monaco serving as the 2024 Champions League finale.
Dinamo Zagreb and Girona will be their final opponents until the knockout stages when play resumes in January.
In order to go to the round of 16, Arsenal needs to place in the top eight during the league phase. Finishing anywhere from ninth to 24th place results in a knockout play-off; finishing any lower means elimination.