William Saliba's return to Ligue 1 was a shock to the system as the Arsenal loanee's Nice side suffered a damaging 2-0 loss to Brest.
Saliba, who has been reduced to playing youth matches for the Gunners so far this season after being frozen out of the first-team squad, started the contest but his lack of match action was apparent from the off.
The former St Etienne defender was booked just 11 minutes into the contest, and things didn't get any better for the 19-year-old from there on.
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Brest struck twice within the space of five minutes in the middle of the first half, former Huddersfield Town man Steve Mounie pouncing for the first, and Franck Honorat struck the second, as the Nice team-mates looked at each other in bemusement.
Nice got better in the second half but their defensive frailties this season are well known and it is unlikely to get much easier for Saliba, even once he finds his fitness.
Brest 2-0 Nice: Player Ratings, Match Stats, Player Stats
🗝️ Key Stats
William Saliba match stats
| Statistic | Value | Notes |
| FC Rating | 6.2 | |
| Mins Played | 90 | |
| Passes | 82 | |
| Pass Completion % | 91% | |
| Interceptions | 1 | |
| Recoveries | 14 | |
| Tackles Attempted/Won | 3/0 | |
| Clearances | 1 |
William Saliba 
Nice 
Arsenal 
