Why Arsenal’s Bench Is Their Deadliest Weapon | w/ Ollie Hopkins

Opta Analyst

Why Arteta's bench has become Arsenal's winning weapon

The video uses data to examine how Mikel Arteta's substitutions change games: Arsenal have repeatedly won through bench players this season, and this has been a long-running pattern under him. It concludes that squad depth matters, but Arteta's proactive, early and purposeful use of the bench, plus long-term squad building, is the key.

Mikel Arteta has mastered the art of Arsenal substitutions to secure crucial wins for his side this season. We look at the stats behind the impact of bench players on team performance not only this season, but throughout Mikel Arteta's time at the club - examining how these tactical changes influence winning goals and overall results. By utilising Premier League data, we can quantify exactly how much value the manager is extracting from his changes during critical moments - breaking down the efficiency of the squad and what it reveals about current depth. Check out the Opta Analyst website: https://theanalyst.com/ 📬 Sign up for the Opta Analyst Newsletter here for free: https://theanalyst.com/sign-up Follow Opta Analyst: Twitter: https://x.com/OptaAnalyst Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theoptaanalyst Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/optaanalyst/ Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@optaanalyst QUESTION - Have a question about a player or data? Drop it in the comments! mikelarteta arsenal arsenalfc

Transcript

Nikoleta has mastered Arsenal's substitutions. They keep scoring winning goals and it's no coincidence. We're joined by OPAR analyst Ollie Hopkins to dive deeper into the numbers behind his gamechanging bench. Ollie, thank you for joining us. How are you? >> I am good. George, hello. How are you? >> Yeah, I can see you've got a spring in your step, but it's still early in the season, but it does look like Arsenal have picked up where they left off. It's one thing having the players, but it's how you get the best out of them. How is Arteta doing that so far this season? Yeah, I mean it's been been a bit of a pattern in his last three wins that he's turned to the bench um to provide the spark to to change games. Um and yeah, each of Arsenal's last three wins, if you ignore the Brighton result, um the winner has been scored by a substitute. Um with Manoweke, the latest example, uh doing that against Forest at the weekend. And so when games are tight and they're even, Arsenal's bench has been able to to really kind of pull them out of a bit of a a bit of a hole. And while Arsenal have only scored three goals from subs, which is two off Ipsswich, who are kind of tied in first, they've all been game winners, right? So they've been they've been very very important. Um, and yeah, I think that kind of shows that has not only got the kind of squad depth available to him, but the ability to to use it and to to work out who and when to bring them on. This isn't new though, right? I mean, it's been a key theme throughout his time at Arsenal, but maybe it's gone under the radar. >> Yeah. No, it's definitely not a new thing at all. I mean, the the record for winning goals scored by subs in one season actually belongs to Atheta's Arsenal. Um, they scored six winning goals from substitutes um back in 2024 25. So, they already own the kind of outright record on three from seven games um so so far. So, are on course to even be beat that. But even before that, since Arteta's debut in 2019 in December, Mars have won more games thanks to substitute winning goals than any other team with 19. You know, while it's been prevalent, particularly start of this season, Arthur has been able to to do this pretty regularly. Um, Tim joined the club. Um, and you know, that's a combination of of various things which we'll get into, but you know, you can't deny he has a an ability to, yeah, turn to the bench and um, pick the right players to make a real impact. playing devil's advocate here. Is it not just that he's got a better squad than most teams in the Premier League, so therefore he can make those changes? >> Yeah, but I think that definitely definitely plays a factor. I think Arsenal's bench, you know, bench players would start from most Premier League sides. So, the quality of the players he he can bring on um is going to increase the chance that those players then go and have uh a big impact on games. you know, bring being able to bring someone off the bench like Bruno Gamarish or Manaweke um you know, that's a luxury that not a lot of managers do have. So, um by by all means that the the kind of squad depth does help him um in that regard. Um but it's worth saying that he has built that depth like he is, you know, this is this squad has been built um you know over six years of meticulous squad planning and building and coaching. So, he should get credit for for that. I think what's quite a nice stat is you know if you look at all managers across Premier League history to have managed 100 games of which there are 81 in total and look at the proportion of their goals that is scored by subseta is at 12.6 which is seventh most ever so that kind of shows you that that he is definitely in the kind of like the upper echels when it comes to um producing the goods from his pair off the off the bench which I think is is quite a nice sort of stat that does encompass his entire Arsenal managerial career. I will give him credit though. I think it shows his quality and his development as a manager. And I think the impressive thing is that he's using his bench to react to the opposition, but he's doing it with purpose. >> Yeah. I think one thing that perhaps I think Shane really doesn't get spoken about too much when you chat about managers is like how early they make substitutions. Um you know, do they kind of go go early, go proactive and try to change the game at halfime, for example, or or wait and and see how the second half plays out and then make changes around the hour mark. And Arteta is I think in the former camp. He goes early with his changes. He's made four substitutes at halfime so far this season which is third highest behind Brenford and and Villa. If you look back to last season where we have kind of full data for it and look at the time of his average first sub. He made his first sub just over 50 minutes on average in the Premier League last season which was the second quickest manager to do so by Moresca who's then at at Chelsea. Yeah. Not only is he kind of picking the right players to bring on who have the impact, he's doing it, you know, proactively um showing real intent um and and doing so at halfime or, you know, on average just after halfime last season. >> Do you think this style of management and the belief he puts in his players gives that squad an added boost to go on and compete across all competitions? >> Yeah, I mean it it it has to. Um I think one quite nice stat is if you look at this season and last season 13 different Arthur players have scored or assisted off the bench which is again it's the highest of any Premier League side. So that is showing that it's not just one or two or three players coming on and you know doing damage. It is a kind of combination and contribution of of a squad as a whole. Um and I think when you've got a squad as as deep as Arsenals and you've got players who um you know probably would be first team regulars in other squads um who aren't necessarily first choice players someone like Yakarez for example or or or EZ um them coming off the the bench having him having an impact um you that must make them feel good right and keeps them almost like um bought in. they they they feel like they still got a role even if they don't start the game. Um, and kind of I I guess with a squad that is is stacked as Arsenals is when you've got players who are, you know, talented but not playing, it's important to kind of make them feel like they're still they still got got a role on on match day rather than like, you know, not bidding something from me