In a Premier League campaign increasingly defined by injury crises, squad rotation and a jam‑packed fixture list, the depth of a team's roster can become a decisive factor when first‑choice players are unavailable. Understanding how much quality lies beyond the regular starting eleven, how well that quality is retained when replacements are called upon, and where each club’s strengths and weaknesses lie is essential for gauging a side's true competitiveness. Moreover, the frequency with which managers actually tap into their bench, the impact of those substitutes when they come on, and how a club's resources compare with its projected performance levels, upcoming schedule pressures and recent injury histories all play a part in the overall picture.
To address these questions, we have built a comprehensive Squad Depth Index that incorporates a range of metrics and data sources. Our Overall Squad Depth Index aggregates several layers of information: the retention of quality from first‑to‑second‑XI, the overall calibre of reserve players, positional coverage, real‑world rotation patterns and the readiness of players to step in at short notice.
In parallel, a Competitive Depth Index evaluates how each club’s squad depth measures up against the standard of performance expected of them, using Sky Sports' advanced forecasting model and the current market values supplied by Transfermarkt. By blending Opta’s playing‑time and match statistics with Transfermarkt valuations, we identified each club’s established starting XI and the strongest alternatives available in every position.
The model also adjusts substitute attacking impact based on Premier League performances over the last two full seasons and the current campaign, weighting the data to account for sample size. When the numbers are crunched, Arsenal emerge as the clear leaders of both the Overall Squad Depth Index and the Competitive Depth Index.
While this outcome is not entirely surprising given the Gunners' recent transfer activity, it raises the question of exactly why Mikel Arteta’s squad is considered so robust and reliable compared with the rest of the English top flight. During the summer window Arsenal focused heavily on bolstering depth. Although they flirted with marquee signings such as Vinícius Júnior and Julián Álvarez, the actual arrivals of Bruno Guimarães and Ezri Konsa have already added meaningful quality to a back line and midfield already brimming with talent. Arteta also had to navigate a long list of injuries last season, and the club hopes that the new additions will help mitigate similar problems this year.
One striking statistic is the combined market value of Arsenal's named substitutes in Premier League matches so far this season, which averages around £367 million. No other club comes close to that figure. It is worth noting that Transfermarkt valuations tend to be conservative; on average, Premier League clubs paid roughly 36% above those estimates in the most recent transfer window. Applying that premium pushes the effective bench value for Arsenal nearer to £500 million, underscoring the depth of financial and playing‑quality resources at their disposal.
By contrast, the three newly promoted sides—Hull City, Coventry City and Ipswich Town—register the lowest average bench values in the division. Mid‑table clubs such as Brentford sit in an interesting position, posting an average bench value of about £129 million, which is respectable for a side just outside the traditional "big six." Market value alone, however, does not tell the whole story.
To gauge whether these alternatives are genuinely useful, we examined actual on‑field contributions. For every player currently on a Premier League roster, we measured output when entering matches as a substitute across the previous two full seasons and the current campaign.
To prevent a single brief cameo from inflating a player's ranking, goals and assists per 90 minutes are adjusted toward the league average based on the size of each player's substitute sample. When looking at goal involvements per 90 minutes, Arsenal rank second only to Brighton & Hove Albion, and in raw total contributions they sit at the very top.
Since the start of the 2023‑24 season, Arsenal’s squad has accumulated 27 combined goals and assists from 4,340 minutes of substitute play, equating to an adjusted rate of roughly 0.54 goal involvements per 90 minutes. The demanding schedule that follows the international break means Arsenal will likely need to draw on the entire roster. Having a deep bench is one thing; actually utilising it is another.
To explore usage, we ranked every club’s players by total Premier League minutes and split them into three tiers: core starters, regular rotation players and fringe squad members. Tottenham Hotspur, for example, have already allocated a relatively high proportion of league minutes beyond their core eleven, despite not competing on as many fronts as some rivals. This may indicate that Roberto De Zerbi is still experimenting with his optimal line‑up. Manchester United’s core eleven accounts for more than 88% of the club’s total minutes, a figure only surpassed by Bournemouth and Everton.
Although United appear well‑equipped to handle their fixture load, manager Michael Carrick has yet to fully trust the depth options at his disposal. In comparison, Arsenal and Manchester City have allowed players ranked 12th‑22nd in minutes to contribute roughly 15% of total playing time, suggesting a more balanced rotation strategy. To test the resilience of each squad, we simulated a worst‑case scenario in which every member of a club’s first XI is unavailable due to injury or suspension.
Using Premier League playing‑time data to identify the players most commonly trusted as starters, we constructed a standardised first XI for each club and then assembled a second XI from the remaining personnel. Arsenal’s modelled first XI carries an estimated market value of about £580 million, while the second XI is valued at roughly £536 million. This means that even if all eleven starters were sidelined, Arsenal would retain approximately 92% of the estimated value of their starting side—a remarkably high retention rate. Manchester City, by contrast, see a far larger drop‑off: their second XI is worth about £428.2 million less than the first XI, largely because the exclusion of Erling Haaland dramatically reduces the overall valuation of the alternative line‑up.
Two clubs—Aston Villa and Hull City—actually possess second XIs that are more valuable than the usage‑based first XIs identified by our model. Both clubs were active in the late‑summer transfer market, and it is reasonable to expect that managers Unai Emery and Sergej Jakirović will integrate new arrivals to further enhance squad depth.
Even the most talented squads can suffer from positional imbalances. To pinpoint these, we divided every roster into ten distinct roles: goalkeeper, right‑back, centre‑back, left‑back, defensive midfield, central midfield, attacking midfield, left wing, right wing and centre‑forward. For each role we evaluated the two strongest credible options, and for centre‑back we considered four players because two positions are available. Our analysis reveals that Arsenal, despite its overall strength, is noticeably thin on the left wing after the departures of Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard.
Liverpool faces an even starker deficit on the opposite flank following Mohamed Salah’s exit. The most vulnerable positions across the league tend to be attacking midfield roles at Brighton, Crystal Palace and Newcastle, clubs that often operate without a traditional number 10. Everton ranks near the bottom—20th overall—for centre‑forward depth, scoring just 36.1 points in that category after a failed attempt to secure Folarin Balogun.
This low rating does not imply that Everton’s starting striker, Thierno Barry, is the league’s poorest performer; rather, it highlights the limited quality of the alternatives available behind him. When assessing squads as a whole, the reigning champions Manchester City rank among the most well‑rounded, with only Aston Villa edging them out in the pure Squad Depth Score, which measures the strength of alternatives relative to the first team.
Recent departures of players such as Morgan Rogers, Ollie Watkins, Youri Tielemans, Ezri Konsa and Emi Martínez have narrowed the gap between starters and rotation options for several clubs. Youth development also plays a crucial 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 cohort of young first‑team talent in the division, with seven players aged 21 or under collectively worth about £229.5 million.
Most of these prospects are home‑grown acquisitions such as Willian Estávão and Geovany Quenda. Manchester City rank second in terms of youthful market value at £190.9 million, followed by Brighton (£179.1 million), Manchester United (£177.1 million) and Bournemouth (£159.5 million). However, high valuation does not always translate into playing time. Only Brighton and Manchester United rank within the top five clubs for minutes played by young players, whereas Manchester City’s young group has logged a modest 257 minutes, and Arsenal’s two young first‑teamers (valued at £72.7 million) have accumulated 282 minutes.
Finally, we simulated the removal of each individual starter from every club’s line‑up, rebuilding the strongest possible XI from the remaining squad each time. This exercise identifies which players and positions would cause the greatest structural disruption if lost. As expected, goalkeepers dominate the list of critical absences, with Brighton’s Bart Verbruggen representing the single biggest loss to any team’s overall stability.
Among outfield players, Aston Villa’s youngster George Hemmings, Bournemouth’s Adrien Truffert and Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton emerge as the most consequential potential losses for their respective sides. In summary, while Arsenal currently enjoy the deepest and most valuable bench in the Premier League, depth is a multifaceted concept that blends market valuation, actual on‑field contribution, positional balance and managerial utilisation.
Clubs that can effectively rotate quality players, integrate promising youth and maintain a resilient core are best positioned to navigate the inevitable injury storms and congested fixtures that define modern top‑flight football.