Premier League Predictions & News
Impact Sub: Top scoring Premier League subs
Over the years in the Premier League, we’ve been treated to some of the world’s most talented players, many of which made a real impact when coming off the bench.
In this blog, we take a look at the top three top scoring substitutes who’ve netted the most when coming off the bench in the Premier League.
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Jermain Defoe – 24
Jermain Defoe, best known for his time at West Ham, Portsmouth, and Tottenham, scored a remarkable 15% of his Premier League goals as a substitute. Of his 162 goals in the competition, 24 were netted after coming off the bench.
Not only does he top the list for the most goals scored as a substitute, but he also set another Premier League record by scoring each of those 24 goals across 24 different matches, never managing more than one goal after coming on.
A quarter of these substitute goals were scored during his first professional season in the Premier League, back in 2001/02. At the time, Defoe was at West Ham United and was used as a substitute in 21 games, scoring six of his first eight Premier League goals from the bench. Fittingly, he concluded his Premier League goalscoring career with a substitute goal for Bournemouth against Watford, one final addition to his record tally.
Olivier Giroud – 21
Olivier Giroud cemented his reputation as one of the Premier League’s most impactful super subs, with 103 of his 255 league appearances coming from the bench. Renowned for his ability to influence games late on, the Frenchman displayed extreme reliability, netting an impressive 21 goals in those substitute appearances.
Much of this tally was amassed during his six seasons at Arsenal, where he became a reliable game-changer. Giroud scored 17 of his substitute goals for the Gunners, with his impact increasing significantly in his final two campaigns. After scoring just five off the bench in his first four seasons, he netted a stunning 12 goals in his last two—six apiece during the 2016/17 and 2017/18 seasons.
In fact, across those two seasons combined, Giroud’s 12 goals as a substitute put him five clear of any other player in terms of goals scored from the bench in that period. His ability to change the course of matches in the dying moments was a key asset for both Arsenal and later Chelsea, earning him recognition as one of the Premier League’s finest impact substitutes ever.
Giroud was known for his physical presence and aerial ability, with his knack for finding space in the box making him a nightmare for tiring defenders. He’ll forever be known as one of the most reliable Impact Subs in the history of the competition.
Javier Hernández (Chicharito) – 19
Much like Olivier Giroud, Chicharito became renowned as one of the Premier League’s most effective impact substitutes, with the majority of his substitute goals coming during his six seasons at Manchester United. Out of his impressive 53-goal haul in the Premier League, 19 of those were scored from the bench—a remarkable 36%.
Astonishingly, the Mexican forward made only two more starts (80) than substitute appearances (78) in the Premier League, underlining his key role as a game-changer for both United and West Ham. Despite his relatively small stature, Chicharito’s impact was anything but small. His pace, intelligent positioning, and instinctive finishing made him a constant threat to opposition defences, particularly in the latter stages of matches when fresh legs and sharp instincts were needed most.
Chicharito also shares a prestigious Premier League record, having scored five winning goals as a substitute, placing him in elite company. He holds this record alongside other iconic names such as the aforementioned Defoe, Joe Cole, Peter Crouch, Roman Pavlyuchenko, Romelu Lukaku and Marcus Rashford.
His ability to turn the tide of games and deliver match-winning moments further cements his legacy as one of the most impactful subs the Premier League has ever seen. Even in the company of bigger, more physically dominant defenders, Chicharito’s influence from the bench was beyond compare, with his sharpness and predatory instincts making him a true cult hero of the Premier League.
