Report: How Premier League Clubs used and profited from new five subs rule in Gameweek 1

The PFA and Premier League stakeholders have brought the five-substitutions rule back in for the 2022/23 Premier League season. Clubs are only allowed to make substitutions in three breaks in play in an attempt to stop clubs exploiting the rule to waste time. It has seemed some clubs have taken the news with gusto, some with a bit more trepidation. Others look as if the news has bypassed them altogether, judging by the tactics in Gameweek One. BettingOdds.com will be keeping an eye on this radical new development throughout the season, and Gameweek One provided some interesting results. Clubs will have three opportunities to use their substitutes during the match, with an additional opportunity at half-time. They will also be allowed to name nine substitutes on the team sheet for each match.

For Gameweek One, there were 77 substitutions across the 10 fixtures, for an average of 3.85 subs per side. Eight teams took full advantage of the 5-subs rule across the first weekend of the new Premier League season. Four came out with wins, there were three losses, and a singular draw. Manchester United, Southampton and West Ham United were the three clubs to take advantage of the set-up and to end up with a defeat. The most substituted player was the attacking midfielder and the centre forward, constituting 36.4% of all the footballers brought off the pitch in Gameweek One. The first substitution averaged a time at the point of 61 minutes, 36 seconds, with the 5th and last at a point of 89 minutes, 30 seconds.

Overall Substitution Statistics

Total Substitutions in Gameweek One: 77

Average: 3.85 per side

1 sub: 20 teams

2 subs: 18 teams

3 subs: 18 teams

4 subs: 13 teams

5 subs: 8 teams

5 subs: 8 teams - 4 wins, 3 losses, 1 draw

4 subs: 5 teams - 2 wins, 2 losses, 1 draw

3 subs: 5 teams - 2 wins, 2 losses, 1 draw

1 sub: 2 teams - 1 loss, 1 draw 

Average Times of Substitutes in Gameweek One

1st sub: 61 minutes, 36 seconds

2nd sub: 67 minutes, 6 seconds

3rd sub: 72 minutes, 24 seconds

4th sub: 85 minutes

5th sub: 89 minutes, 30 seconds

Substitutions Off by Position

Attacking Midfielder: 14 / 18.2%

Centre Forward: 14 / 18.2%

Centre Midfielder: 12 / 15.6%

Defensive Midfielder: 9 / 11.7%

Left Winger: 7 / 9.1%

Centre Back: 4 / 5.2%

Left Back: 4 / 5.2%

Left Midfielder: 4 / 5.2%

Right Back: 4 / 5.2%

Right Winger: 4 / 5.2%

Goalkeeper: 1 / 1.3%

Substitutions by Winning/ Losing Position

Winning: 33

Losing: 37

Draw: 7