Much of the dialogue following Arsenal’s 1-0 win over Manchester City surrounded the substitutes who won them the game.
Gabriel Martinelli was introduced at half-time and scored the winner — crafted by a trio brought on in the 75th minute. Thomas Partey picked out the surprising forward run of Takehiro Tomiyasu, whose knock-down found Kai Havertz, who laid the ball off for Martinelli’s winner. It was as good an example of how to change a game using substitutes as anyone could possibly imagine. After a competitive first 75 minutes where the aim seemed to be contain, the introduction of proactivity and height helped Arsenal chase and earn all three points.
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The confidence, relief and energy that brought leading into the international break contrasted with the frustration that lingered nights before in France.
Mikel Arteta’s selection away to Lens was strong, making just two changes from the team that had beaten Bournemouth the match prior. That was somewhat expected given the strength of his line-up in the opening Champions League match against PSV Eindhoven, although there was some surprise from fans and media that Bukayo Saka started just days after his latest knock. When Saka was then forced off after 34 minutes that decision was called into question, but another familiar discussion point arose at the end of the match: how Arteta uses his squad.
As Lens took the lead through Elye Wahi on 69 minutes, Benjamin White, Reiss Nelson and Emile Smith Rowe had all been waiting to come on as a triple change for a few minutes. Even so, the signs that a change was needed were there long before those three players had been summoned to the touchline.
Arsenal struggled to settle in the second half after a chance came and went for Leandro Trossard in the opening minutes. Lens quickly grew in confidence and were leaving more space in behind for a speedster to exploit. Fabio Vieira had replaced Saka in the first half but didn’t have the required speed to get in behind. By the time the pacier Nelson came on, Lens were in a position to sit back, close off that space and defend their lead.
When and how substitutions are used have long been a discussion when it comes to Arteta. Some of this may come from the abrupt change in approach from his predecessor, Unai Emery. Early in the 2018-19 season, Emery was not opposed to making half-time substitutions to change games, with the 4-2 win over Tottenham Hotspur the most memorable example — Alexandre Lacazette and Aaron Ramsey were involved in both second-half goals after coming on during the break. Eventually, those constant changes spoke to the confusion around the club at the time.
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That has not been the theme with Arteta. Despite the average time of his first substitution being the 61st minute (the league average is the 60th minute), he has the tendency to give his starting XI at least 70 minutes to crack the opposition. Arsene Wenger was similar towards the end of his tenure and, in the moment, it can cause restlessness and angst for fans as the seconds tick by.
Four substitutes combining for the late winner against Manchester City is not the only sign that Arteta may be more willing to trust those outside the starting XI to change games, however.
Their Community Shield win over Pep Guardiola’s side took a similar path. They started with an emphasis on containing their opponents, grew into the game and then Arteta looked to his more technical players (Trossard, Smith Rowe and Vieira) to chase a goal. They succeeded, aided by a change in shape which sacrificed a defender for an extra body further forward.
Weeks later, Eddie Nketiah was brought on immediately after the break when Arsenal were 1-0 down to Fulham. Vieira and Oleksandr Zinchenko followed in a double change shortly after and the trio brought a flow to Arsenal’s attack that was lacking. Vieira assisted Nketiah to put Arsenal ahead and, despite Joao Palhinha’s late equaliser, it stands as one of the five times two Arsenal substitutes have combined for a goal in the Premier League this calendar year.
Yesterday was the 5th time in 2023 that two substitutes have combined for a goal for #Arsenal in the Premier League:
Martinelli & Vieira vs Aston Villa
White & Nelson vs Bournemouth
Nketiah & Vieira vs Fulham
Jesus & Vieira vs Man Utd
Martinelli & Havertz vs Man City— Harvey Downes (@HarveyDownes92) October 9, 2023
That tally is more than any other Premier League club in 2023, with Newcastle United second on three. Beyond that, Arsenal rank second in the league for substitutes combining for goals (eight) since Arteta’s first game in charge on Boxing Day 2019 — Chelsea are ranked top (10).
The fact five of those eight instances (62.5 per cent) have come in Arteta’s fourth year in charge shows why the perception of his use of substitutes is taking time to change.
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There are a few factors behind that, however. Part of it will be due to him having a better squad and therefore more trust that the options on the bench will change the game.
Against City in the league, he brought on two regular starters from last season who were returning from injuries (Martinelli and Partey), as Arteta put it “a tremendous asset” in Tomiyasu, and a new signing in Havertz. Against Fulham, Vieira’s assist was his fourth in the Premier League (all coming off the bench), while Zinchenko was another returning regular. In the Community Shield, Smith Rowe came on and showed the quality in tight spaces that allowed him to excel pre-surgery, while Trossard’s elite two-footedness and efficiency got Arsenal their equaliser.
The real necessity for change when either behind or level is another factor. The Aston Villa, Bournemouth and Fulham matches are examples of when Arsenal had to chase after going behind to cheap goals early on.
As the season rolls on, Arsenal will of course want to be making changes for the first reason rather than the second. Arteta now has players who have differing qualities for the same position outside of the usual starting XI, which is something he addressed after the Community Shield win.
“Having that ability is something as a coach that you really want,” he said in August. “The moment we changed the game, we changed our formation, brought some quality players on the pitch with a different freshness and a lot of creativity and other things started to happen in the game. In the end, Leo scored the goal, Fabio scored the winner and those finishers are going to be really, really important.”
The spike in Arsenal goals created by substitutes this year is encouraging. Irrespective of the circumstances they have come in, it proves there are players at Arteta’s disposal who can change the trajectory of a game. That should not be needed every weekend, but having those options as early as October could bode well for the rest of the season if those on the bench are trusted more and more when necessary.
(Photo: ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP via Getty Images)
