Signed by Arsène Wenger in the summer of 2003 from AS Cannes for £250,000, Clichy plays the position of left back for Arsenal, although he has had to be content with playing understudy to England international Ashley Cole. However, he has still made 46 appearances (including 27 in the league) for Arsenal in the two seasons he has been at the English club.

This explosive young full back has become a valuable asset to Wenger's team in case of injury to Ashley Cole, and even pushing Cole for a place should Clichy continue to develop as a player. So good does Wenger see him that both he and Cole have been put in the team together, using Clichy's pace to great effect getting up and down the left wing.

After Ashley Cole suffered a fractured foot, it seemed that Clichy would earn some valuable first-team action (for the several months that Cole would be out); indeed, with the rumours linking Cole with a transfer to Spain, it seemed that Clichy could make a strong case for continual first-team action. However, in a bizarre turn of events, Clichy suffered an exactly identical injury to Cole's, leaving Arsenal with a crisis at the left-back position; recently, they have played centre back Pascal Cygan at left-back, with mixed results.