It was a special night for everyone connected to Arsenal, but especially Bukayo Saka. On Wednesday, Mikel Arteta's team battled to a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Brighton in Sussex. Simultaneously, Manchester City twice relinquished a lead at home to Nottingham Forest, only managing to draw 2-2. Being in the away end at the Amex when confirmation of the full time score from the Etihad filtered through was an amazing moment that all involved will not forget if the Gunners do indeed become champions.
On the pitch, donning the captain's armband, Saka made his 300th appearance for the club. His senior debut, coming as a teenager during a low-key Europa League group game against Vorskla Poltava, feels a distant memory. Only three men have reached 300 outings for the club at a younger age than the Starboy.
Youngest players to reach 300 appearanes for Arsenal
Player Date of 300th app Opponent Age
David O'Leary 13 March 1982 Ipswich Town 23 years & 315 days
Cesc Fàbregas 10 April 2011 Blackpool 23 years & 341 days
Liam Brady 26 April 1980 West Brom 24 years & 73 days
Bukayo Saka 4 March 2026 Brighton 24 years & 180 days
John Radford 28 August 1971 Stoke City 24 years & 187 days
Cliff Bastin 14 November 1936 Birmingham City 24 years & 245 days
Frank Stapleton 2 May 1981 Aston Villa 24 years & 296 days
Graham Rix 8 January 1983 Bolton Wanderers 25 years & 77 days
Tony Adams 31 March 1992 Nottingham Forest 25 years & 173 days
George Armstrong 31 January 1970 Coventry City 25 years & 175 days
Note: Information courtesy ofHarvey Downes.
Only David O'Leary, who is the club's all-time record appearance holder with 722, Cesc Fàbregas and Liam Brady have reached 300 appearances at a younger age for Arsenal. Of the top ten, Fàbregas and Saka are the only men to have done so in the Premier League-era, underlining how rare this is.
So, will Saka become an all-time Arsenal legend? Well, last month, the 24 year old put pen to paper on a new four-year contract at the club he joined at the age of seven, which was great news for all Gooners everywhere. He did pick up an FA Cup winners medal at an eerily empty Wembley in 2020, but was an unused substitute against Chelsea, so is determined to add a whole lot more to his collection.
Saka's statistics at Arsenal speak for themselves, and Arteta's team would not have made the progress they have had it not been for his emergence.
Bukayo Saka's Arsenal career statistics
Competition Appearances Goals Assists
Premier League 221 59 56
Champions League 24 12 8
Europa League 25 5 9
FA Cup 12 1 1
EFL Cup 16 2 2
Community Shield 2 0 2
Total 300 79 78
Right now, only 41 men have made more appearances for Arsenal than Saka, set to overtake the aforementioned Fàbregas and Brady before the end of this campaign.
In terms of output, his record of a goal or an assist every 143 minutes is not bad considering he broke through as an 18 year old at left-back. His tally of 79 goals is only bettered by 26 male players in Arsenal's entire history. He's just one behind Alexis Sánchez, with Robert Pirès, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Alan Sunderland and Paul Merson among those who didn't quite reach a century.
In terms of goals, there are just 19 members of Arsenal's 100 club, with Robin van Persie, Olivier Giroud and Theo Walcott the only three to reach that landmark in the Emirates-era. Well, now 21 away, it surely won't be too long until Saka joins that exclusive club.