Leeds United and Leicester City currently occupy the top two places in the table, but both Ipswich Town and Southampton are close behind, ready to capitalise on any potential slip-ups with the margins still so fine at this stage of the campaign. Kieran McKenna’s side entered the two-week break in emphatic style, beating relegation-threatened Sheffield Wednesday 6-0 at Portman Road, scoring 40% of the goals in the second division that weekend. For the Saints, they have not been in league action since March 9, having seen their top of the table clash with Enzo Maresca’s side rescheduled for next month, but will return to Championship action refreshed and refocused to make their two games in hand count.
The race for the Premier League is far from decided at this stage with over a month of action still to be played, but according to Opta, both Southampton and Ipswich may have a significant advanatge at the end of the season, should they fail to secure a place in the top two.
While the world of statistics has been overruled by a multitude of complicated ways in how we see the modern game, the impact of substitutions has always been an important factor for managers, something which both Southampton and Ipswich both have in their armoury.
Substitutes are proving to be more important than ever before. With matches lasting longer and managers able to make five subs in league matches, players coming off the bench have made an incredible impact this term.
In England’s top four tiers, 642 goals have been scored by substitutes in league action this season, surpassing last season’s total of 617 in the whole of the English Football League with two months of the season remaining.
And for both of the Championship’s front-runners, this has proved to be a fruitful avenue for them this season. Both Martin and McKenna’s side are tied at the top of the table for the most goal involvements by substitutes this term.
| Substitute goal involvements in the Football League as per Opta | ||||
| Team | Subs used | Sub goals | Sub assist | Sub goal involvements |
| Ipswich Town | 182 | 21 | 7 | 28 |
| Southampton | 162 | 20 | 8 | 28 |
| Wigan Athletic | 171 | 13 | 10 | 23 |
| Liverpool | 122 | 11 | 11 | 22 |
| Barnsley | 153 | 9 | 12 | 21 |
| Derby County | 166 | 15 | 6 | 21 |
| Mansfield Town | 167 | 10 | 10 | 20 |
| Watford | 178 | 12 | 8 | 20 |
| Charlton Athletic | 147 | 10 | 9 | 19 |
| Leicester City | 136 | 12 | 7 | 19 |
For the Tractor Boys, over a quarter of their 80 league goals so far have come from the bench. Those 21 goals have been spread across nine players, four of which have come from January signing, Ali Al Hammadi, scoring twice in the win over the Owls. McKenna’s ability to extract goals from his substitutes has been a key weapon in Ipswich’s armoury this season.
Southampton are hot on their heels in the standings, however. Two goals from Bournemouth loanee, Joe Rothwell, in their last league encounter ensured a 4-2 victory against Sunderland, taking their tally to 28 goals involvements for the season, further showcasing Martin’s ability to utilise the players he has at his disposal, with Saints having one of the smallest squads in the division.
The Foxes are also within the top 10 and ahead of the likes of Arsenal and Newcastle United in the standings, with Jamie Vardy the top-scoring substitute in the Football League, having found the net six times from the bench this season.
When looking at the other end of the findings, three Championship teams find themselves in the bottom 10. Stoke City are ranked the lowest of the sides in the second division with five goal involvements from the bench, with Sunderland and Rotherham United also featuring. Those three teams combined have fewer goals from substitutes than both Ipswich and Southampton on their own.
While automatic promotion will be the target for both sides with a number of games remaining in their respective seasons, Opta’s latest findings will instill some confidence in these statistics should they have to fight for a place in the Premier League via the play-offs.
Within the knockout format that sides must navigate for a place in the final at Wembley, the impact from the bench can prove as crucial as making your tactical approach absolutely picture-perfect.
All it takes is one moment of brilliance or being in the right place at the right time to score an important goal that could mean all the difference.
Both Ipswich and Southampton have proved during the course of the season that the options they have within their squad are not only filled with evident quality but also have the ability to impact games when the margins are very fine, something that will surely be needed in the play-offs.
It remains to be seen as to where both sides feat will lie come the end of this thrilling campaign, but both sides will have one extra statistic to fall back on should all else fail.
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