Saliba to reach 100 Arsenal games against Sporting | News

After being named in our starting line-up for tonight’s Champions League game against Sporting CP, William Saliba will complete a century of appearances for the club.

The Frenchman will bring up three figures in red and white out in Portugal, on a ground where he scored one of his five Gunners goals so far.

William made his long-awaited debut on the opening day of the 2022/23 season at Crystal Palace, after initially signing in July 2019 from Saint Etienne. He swiftly made an impact, scoring a sensational goal against Bournemouth a couple of weeks later to earn adulation from our supporters, which has remained throughout his first 100 games.

He had missed just 20 matches since his debut, and last season became the first Arsenal outfield player since Lee Dixon in 1989/90 to play every minute of a league season, and he was a cornerstone of the Premier League’s meanest defence, keeping 18 clean sheets - more than our Golden Glove winner David Raya.

Such has been his impact on our side, we have won 64 of his first 99 games, and to put that in context only five players in our history won 65 or more of their first 100 matches:

He also picked up 50 league wins in the quickest time in our history, which took him just 66 Premier League matches. 

William is the 238th men’s player to reach 100 appearances for the club, and becomes the 17th Frenchman to do so.