Mikel Arteta persistently refers to his substitutes as ‘finishers’ and the data proves they’re having a huge impact upon Arsenal’s season
Kai Havertz scored for Arsenal from the bench in stoppage time in their 1-0 triumph over Sporting CP
It was an idea initially formed back in 2023 following a lengthy chat with England rugby head coach Eddie Jones, but it was a concept that finally ignited last September in Bilbao.
Arsenal stormed to an impressive hard-fought 2-0 Champions League victory away to Athletic Club at San Mames, courtesy of two late goals from Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli, respectively.
Each forward also assisted the other and after the game, Mikel Arteta praised the decisive contributions of his “finishers.”
Over two years prior, Arteta had previously referred to his substitutes as “impactors,” but the unique tag, mentioned during a press conference, never truly caught on or carried much weight.
This time, however, the term “finishers” has stuck around and has become part of Arsenal’s vocabulary because of the monstrous impact their substitutes are having on matches both domestically and in Europe.
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Arteta implemented the phrase in consultation with his backroom staff to diminish any sense of disappointment that comes with being left out of the starting XI.
There’s a firm belief his “finishers” are now equally as important as his starters because they are assigned the responsibility to win and see out matches once they enter the fray from the sideline.
The data speaks volumes following Kai Havertz’s midweek stoppage-time winner in Lisbon as no club inside Europe’s top-five leagues has recorded more substitute goals (24) and assists (14) than Arsenal’s 38 goal involvements across all competitions.
Spanish side Celta Vigo are second with 34 (23 goals, 11 assists), tied level with French giants Paris Saint-Germain (25 goals, nine assists).
No other Premier League side features in the top 10 of the continental standings. Where English clubs are concerned, Chelsea have the next-best record to Arsenal, having generated 27 goals (17 scored, 10 assists) via substitutes.
Incredibly, despite not playing European football, teams like Leeds (11), Fulham (16) and even relegation contenders Wolves (19) and Burnley (13) have mustered more goal involvements from the bench across all competitions than Manchester City’s 10 (five goals, five assists).
What’s also hugely positive for Arsenal is that they have already surpassed their tally from the entirety of last season (25 combined goals and assists via “finishers”) with potentially up to 11 matches left to spare.
During the 2024-25 campaign, Brighton (32), Tottenham Hotspur (32), Aston Villa (27), Liverpool (27) and Manchester United (27) all mustered more goal contributions from the bench.
All of those sides have now been blown out of the water by Arteta’s Arsenal this time around, which is a testament to the recruitment overseen by Andrea Berta last summer.
At times, the Italian’s body of work at the Emirates Stadium has been scrutinised as big-signings Viktor Gyokeres, Noni Madueke and Eberechi Eze have all endured patchy spells of form.
But their arrivals have ultimately improved the squad’s depth and quality, which was typified in January when Ethan Nwaneri was allowed to depart the club on loan to Marseille.
In January 2025, the Gunners desperately sought forward reinforcements right up until the transfer deadline due to an unprecedented injury crisis.
Arteta has still had his fair share of fitness problems this season, but crucially, there has been greater quality in reserve to call upon to minimise the damage.
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