There were seven goals scored by substitutes in the Premier League last weekend, the most on a Premier League matchday since the 2022-23 season. We look at the competition’s more interesting sub data.
The two late goals from Darwin Núñez for Liverpool at Brentford on Saturday felt like a huge moment in the Premier League title race, especially when Arsenal dropped points against Aston Villa just a few hours later.
They were significant in that they won the game for Arne Slot’s league leaders, they doubled Núñez’s goal tally in the Premier League for the season, but also that they came from the boot of a substitute.
They were two of seven goals scored via a substitute on Matchday 22 of the 2024-25 Premier League season, the most on a single PL matchday since MD 26 of the 2022-23 campaign (8).
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As it turned out, Núñez’s first in the 91st minute at the Gtech Community Stadium to break the deadlock was the only one of the seven goals to change the result/outcome of a game. The other six changed the score, but not whether the game was won, lost or drawn.
They all count, though. Adama Traoré doubled Fulham’s lead in their 2-0 win at Leicester City after coming off the bench at half-time at the King Power Stadium.
The other four sub goals came on a fascinating afternoon of action on Sunday. Georginio Rutter had only been on the pitch at Old Trafford for seven minutes before taking advantage of a fumble from Manchester United goalkeeper André Onana to give Brighton a two-goal cushion in their 3-1 win.
Indeed, all four games played on Sunday featured a goal from a sub, with Tottenham’s Richarlison getting on the end of a cross from fellow sub Mikey Moore in second-half stoppage time to reduce the deficit to 3-2 against the Brazilian’s former club Everton, but it was ultimately in vain as Ange Postecoglou’s side suffered defeat on Merseyside.
It was a similar story for Paul Onuachu, who headed in Southampton’s second to make it 3-2 at Nottingham Forest, but Ivan Juric’s men were denied a dramatic equaliser late on when Ola Aina stopped Jan Bednarek’s header on the line.
James McAtee followed up his hat-trick against Salford City in the FA Cup with his first Premier League goal for Manchester City, very much only adding gloss to their 6-0 win at Ipswich Town with a fine looping header six minutes after coming on at Portman Road.
We wrote last season about the increase in goal activity from substitutes, unsurprisingly occurring in the years since the introduction of five substitutions per team in the Premier League, as well as the greater length of game time in the last few seasons.
The upward curve has somewhat slowed, though. Last season saw the record for the most goals scored by substitutes in a Premier League campaign broken comfortably with 159, which was 27 more than the previous record in 2022-23.
That meant 13.3% of goals scored in the Premier League in 2023-24 came via subs (excluding own goals), another record ahead of 12.8% in the 2013-14 season.
After MD 22 this season, there have been 81 goals scored by subs, making up 12.6% of the competition’s total goals (excl. own goals), the fourth-highest percentage in Premier League history.
At the other end of the spectrum, Crystal Palace are the only team in the Premier League still waiting for their first goal from a sub this season, while Everton have only scored one. Both clubs are level for goal involvements, though, as Palace have seen a goal assisted by a sub, which the Toffees have not.
Unsurprisingly, Bournemouth have won the most points thanks to subs providing goal involvements (17), ahead of Fulham (16), Aston Villa (13), Brighton & Hove Albion (10), Leicester (9), Liverpool (9) and Manchester City (8).
