In a Premier League campaign that is increasingly dictated by injury crises, squad rotation, and a jam‑packed fixture list, the ability of a club to cope when its first‑choice eleven are unavailable has become a decisive factor. Understanding how much quality lies beyond the usual starting lineup, how much of that quality is retained when backups are called upon, and where each club’s strengths and weaknesses lie is essential for anyone trying to gauge a team’s true depth.
It also matters how often managers actually tap into these alternatives, and what impact those players have when they step off the bench. To answer these questions we have built a comprehensive Squad Depth Index that incorporates a range of variables, from player market values to actual minutes played, and we have applied it to every Premier League side for the current season. Our Overall Squad Depth Index pulls together several strands of data.
First, Sky Sports combined Opta’s detailed playing‑time and match statistics with Transfermarkt’s estimated market values to identify each club’s established first XI and the strongest players available beyond that core. The model then evaluates how much quality is retained when a starter is swapped for his nearest alternative, looks at the overall reserve quality, measures positional coverage, tracks real‑world rotation patterns, and assesses player readiness.
For attacking substitutes we examined their contributions in the Premier League over the previous two full seasons plus the current campaign, adjusting the figures for sample size to avoid inflating the rankings with one‑off performances. The Competitive Depth component adds a forecast of the standard each club is expected to maintain – based on Sky Sports’ super‑computer predictions – and weighs this against the total market value of the squad. Finally, a preparedness model compares each team’s depth against upcoming fixtures, short turnarounds and the clubs’ injury histories from last season and this one. When all of these factors are combined, Arsenal emerge as the clear leaders.
The Gunners top both the Overall Squad Depth Index and the separate Competitive Depth Index, confirming what many pundits have already suspected: Mikel Arteta has assembled a squad that is not only deep on paper but also capable of delivering when called upon. During the summer window Arsenal focused on shoring up their bench rather than chasing headline‑grabbing signings. While rumors linked them to the likes of Vinícius Júnior and Julián Álvarez, the actual arrivals of Bruno Guimarães and Ezri Konsa have already added genuine quality to a back four and midfield already brimming with talent.
Arteta also had to navigate a long list of injuries last season, and the club will be hoping that the depth he has built will prevent a repeat of that disruption. One concrete measure of depth is the combined market value of a club’s named substitutes in Premier League matches.
This season Arsenal’s bench has averaged a staggering £367 million in Transfermarkt valuations – a figure that dwarfs every other side. It is worth noting that Premier League clubs typically pay around 36 % above Transfermarkt estimates, meaning the real financial worth of Arsenal’s bench is closer to half a billion pounds.
By contrast, the three newly promoted clubs – Hull City, Coventry City and Ipswich Town – sit at the very bottom of the bench‑value chart, while Brentford, sitting just outside the traditional "big six," have a respectable £129 million average bench value. Market value alone, however, does not tell the whole story. To gauge the practical impact of substitutes we measured every Premier League player’s output when entering a match as a sub over the past two seasons and the current one.
Goals and assists per 90 minutes were adjusted toward the league average based on the size of each player’s substitute sample, preventing a one‑off cameo from skewing the rankings. By this metric Arsenal rank second only to Brighton in goal involvements per 90 minutes, and when raw totals are considered they actually lead the league. Since the start of last season, Arsenal’s bench players have contributed 27 goals and assists in 4,340 minutes, an adjusted rate of roughly 0.54 goal involvements per full match. Depth also matters in terms of how managers use their squads.
Premier League minutes were allocated into three tiers for each club. Tottenham Hotspur, for example, have already distributed a relatively high share of minutes beyond their core eleven despite not competing on as many fronts as some rivals – perhaps a sign that Roberto De Zerbi is still experimenting with his optimal lineup. Manchester United’s core players account for more than 88 % of total minutes, a figure only surpassed by Bournemouth and Everton. Yet data suggests United possess a strong bench; the issue appears to be a reluctance from Michael Carrick to rely heavily on rotational options.
In contrast, Arsenal and Manchester City have seen players ranked 12th‑22nd in their squads account for about 15 % of total minutes, indicating a more balanced rotation policy. To illustrate how squads would cope in a worst‑case scenario, we simulated the loss of an entire first XI for each club. By identifying the players most trusted as starters (based on Premier League playing time) and then constructing a second XI from the remaining squad, we could compare the estimated market values of the two line‑ups.
Arsenal’s first XI is valued at roughly £580 million, while their second XI stands at about £536 million – meaning they retain approximately 92 % of the starting‑XI’s value even if every starter is unavailable. Manchester City’s second XI, by contrast, is worth £428.2 million less than its first XI, largely because the drop‑off in value is steep when star striker Erling Haaland is omitted.
Aston Villa and Hull City are the only clubs whose second XI is actually valued higher than their usage‑based first XI, reflecting aggressive late‑window transfer activity that has yet to be fully integrated. Even the deepest squads have weak spots. We broke each team down into ten positional categories – goalkeeper, right‑back, centre‑back, left‑back, defensive midfield, central midfield, attacking midfield, left wing, right wing and centre‑forward – and assessed the two strongest credible options for each role (four for centre‑back, where two spots exist).
Arsenal, despite their overall depth, are notably thin on the left wing after the departures of Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard. Liverpool’s left side is even more depleted following Mohamed Salah’s exit.
The poorest positional depth across the league is found in attacking midfield at Brighton, Crystal Palace and Newcastle, clubs that often operate without a traditional number‑10. Everton sit 20th for centre‑forward depth, scoring a low 36.1 on our scale after a failed attempt to sign Folarin Balogun.
This does not imply that their starter, Thierno Barry, is the worst striker in the division; rather, it highlights the lack of quality alternatives behind him. In the overall Squad Depth Score – which measures the strength of alternatives relative to the first team – the Premier League champions rank among the most balanced squads, with only Aston Villa edging them out. Youth development also plays a role in depth. Our model includes young players who have either established a market value or earned Premier League minutes.
Chelsea boast the most valuable group of under‑21 first‑team players, with seven youngsters worth a combined £229.5 million. Manchester City follow with £190.9 million, Brighton with £179.1 million, Manchester United with £177.1 million and Bournemouth with £159.5 million. However, value does not always translate into playing time.
Brighton and Manchester United rank in the top five for minutes played by young talent, while Manchester City’s youngsters have logged only 257 minutes and Arsenal’s two under‑21s have accumulated 282 minutes – still more than Leeds United’s solitary minute. Finally, we examined the structural impact of losing any single player from a club’s first XI. By removing each starter in turn and rebuilding the strongest possible line‑up from the remaining squad, we identified which positions are most vulnerable.
Unsurprisingly, goalkeepers dominate the list, with Brighton’s Bart Verbruggen representing the biggest potential loss in the league. Among outfield players, Aston Villa’s youngster George Hemmings, Bournemouth’s Adrien Truffert and Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton emerge as the most critical. In summary, Arsenal’s squad depth is exceptional both in terms of market value and actual on‑field contribution. Their bench not only holds a high financial worth but also delivers measurable goal involvements, and the manager appears willing to rotate players effectively.
While other clubs possess strong individual elements – such as Chelsea’s youthful assets or Manchester City’s overall quality – few combine the breadth of talent, the financial depth, and the practical utilisation that Arsenal currently exhibit. The data suggests that clubs with a balanced rotation policy and a bench capable of retaining a high percentage of starting‑XI value are best positioned to navigate the relentless demands of a Premier League season fraught with injuries and congested fixtures.