Mikel Arteta may be attempting to rebrand them "finishers" but there's only one phrase in the footballing lexicon to sum up today's focus: super subs. Yes, we're looking for those players renowned for making a devastating impact off the bench, those guaranteed game-changers a manager turns to when in desperate need of a goal. First, an honorary mention for some who missed out, such as one-season wonder Adam le Fondre, who holds the record for the most goals off the bench in a single Premier League campaign - five of his eight came in a three-game spell in January 2013.
Hernan Crespo boasts the best goals-per-game ratio but his six in 16 substitute appearances for Chelsea represents a small sample size, likewise ex-Norwich and Leicester forward Mark Robins with five in 14 outings as a replacement. To make the all-time top 10 Premier League super subs, players need to have consistently delivered throughout their careers, providing goals and assists. So here we go, I've ranked mine below - you can have your say in the comments, too.
Theo Walcott, replaced on 168 occasions, holds the record as the most subbed off player in Premier League history. Yet it's his impact coming on to the pitch we're interested in here. Bursting on to the top-flight scene as an explosive teenager, the flying forward was often used by Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger to stretch defences with his pace and movement - a lactic acid-inducing sight for flailing full-backs.
The England international pieced together an impressive substitute CV throughout his Premier League career. No-one has more than Walcott's 14 assists as a sub - Ryan Giggs and Marc Albrighton are level - while he also scored 10 goals as a replacement across his time with the Gunners, Everton and Southampton. It puts him fourth on the list for overall goal contributions off the bench.
This was a toss up between Victor Anichebe and Divock Origi, with both forwards contributing exactly half of all their Premier League goals as a substitute. Ex-Everton, West Brom and Sunderland striker Anichebe edges it having notched a couple more - a tally of 13 placing the former Nigeria international in joint-eighth on the all-time list - while he also chipped in with five assists off the bench. Roman Pavlyuchenko was also unlucky to miss out - 45% of his 20 Premier League goals came as a substitute for Tottenham.
There's a good case for Danny Welbeck, who as the only current player in the top three, with 19 goals, still has time to catch those above him. Welbeck was a goalscoring sub at Manchester United and Arsenal but perfected the art on the south coast, with 12 of his tally coming during six years with Brighton. The 35-year-old is now at Chelsea but - with apologies to Danny - there is another former Blue whose stats demand a place on this list.
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