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Arsenal and France: A Special History

As AS Monaco prepare to face Arsenal tomorrow evening, with a place in the knockout round of the UEFA Champions League potentially to be secured, we look back at the strong links between the English club and the French game, highlighting some of the most notable players to have featured for the Gunners.
E. DEVIN
Published on 12/11/2024 at 03:00
2-minute read
Patrick Vieira and Thierry Henry are but two of the many French players who've shaped the history of Arsenal

Thierry Henry: AS Monaco 1994-99, Arsenal 1999-2007

Before he was leading Arséne Wenger's side to an unbeaten season, two FA Cups and a place in the 2006 Champions League final, Henry was an impressive youngster in the Principality. Signed by Monaco as a teenager, his growth into the first team was slow, but as Wenger converted him from a wide player to a centre forward, his gifts became more apparent, and he was a key part of the club's 1996-7 Ligue 1 title. In London, to where he moved after a brief interlude in Italy, he was a standout for nearly a decade, and remains the team's all-time leading scorer.

Patrick Vieira: AS Cannes 1993-1995, Arsenal 1996-2005

While his spell at Cannes was impressive despite the team's relatively minor stature, Vieira came into his own over nine seasons in London. A physical and combative midfielder, his elegance in possession and tactical intelligence helped redefine the role of what a number six could be, and like Henry he was a big part of one of the club's most successful spells in recent memory.

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William Saliba: AS Saint-Étienne 2018-20, OGC Nice 2021, Olympique de Marseille 2021-22, Arsenal 2019-

A preternaturally gifted centre back, Saliba came through Sainté's academy before moving to London in 2019. While he took a little bit of time to establish himself in the first team, returning to Ligue 1 twice on loan -- with Nice and Marseille, in his final season at the Stade Vélodrôme he was hugely impressive as he was named to the UNFP Team of the Year and as the Young Player of the Year. Now back with his parent club, he and another face familiar to fans of Ligue 1 -- former LOSC Lille defender Gabriel -- have become an impervious central pairing.

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Olivier giroud: Montpellier HSC 2010-12, Arsenal 2012-18

Somewhere between a cult hero and a genuine superstar, Giroud labored in the lower leagues in France before getting a chance to play in the top flight with Montpellier. After a strong first season, his second was historic, as he helped La Paillade to an unprecedented title by scoring 21 goals. A regular with Arsenal after his move there, he failed to repeat that feat across the channel, but was nevertheless an impressive and consistent presence for club and country, having helped France to the 2018 World Cup.

Besides these four, the likes of Robert Pires, Bacary Sagna, Gaël Clichy, Laurent Koscielny and more have been key to Arsenal's fortunes in recent seasons, underscoring the links between the club and France.  

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