Why does AS Monaco have the most decisive bench in the top flight?
Edan Diop made a big impression last weekend! Not only did he score his first goal in an official match with the first team at the age of 18, the third in the Monegasques’ victory over RC Strasbourg (4-3). But he also built on the statistic that Philippe Clement’s side has the best bench in Ligue 1.
A 12th goal scored by a substitute
On at half-time against the Alsatians at the Stade Louis-II, the midfielder trained at the Academy, who signed his first professional contract last summer, scored what was the 12th goal by a Monegasque substitute this season. Here’s the data provided by our partner Opta, which the official Ligue 1 Uber Eats website shared thanks to Stats Perform.
🆕 Premier but en @Ligue1UberEats pour le jeune Edan Diop !#MadeInLaDiagonale #MondayMotivation pic.twitter.com/oMPdl2JP0M
— AS Monaco 🇲🇨 (@AS_Monaco) April 3, 2023
The most decisive bench in the top flight
With 12 goals now scored off the bench, AS Monaco are well ahead of their closest competitiors, namely Lens (9), OGC Nice and Troyes (8). But it’s even more striking when you add assists to this tally, since seven assists have also been created by these “super subs” since Matchday 8 in Reims (a 3-0 win). By this measure the bench has scored nearly 20% of the 61 Monegasque goals in the league, and have been involved in nearly 20 in total, when assists are also considered (12+7).
𝐋𝐞𝐬 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐬 ⚽️✨
Quel club est premier du classement ? 🥇
📌 La réponse 👉 https://t.co/AZ6Pd5YcXz pic.twitter.com/MXYDBfQIXS
— Ligue 1 Uber Eats (@Ligue1UberEats) April 5, 2023
The post-World Cup effect
This also shows the importance of the entire squad, evidenced by the Club being in second place in the ranking of the most prolific teams in the top flight, since the return from the World Cup, having won 30 points (with a +13 goal differential). Moreover, nine goals were scored by substitutes over this period (as well as four assists), more than any other team in the five major European leagues, added Opta.
Twelve players have been decisive
In all, twelve players have already contributed to a goal off the bench this season: Minamino (1 goal, 1 assist), Boadu (2g), Vanderson (1a), Golovin (1g, 1a), Volland (2a), Ben Seghir (2g), Ben Yedder (1g), Jakobs (1a), Embolo (3g), Matsima (1g), Diatta (1g) and Diop (1g). Among them, Breel Embolo is the player who has had the most impact, with three goals scored off the bench, making him the third-most decisive Ligue 1 player in this field, behind only Lens’ Loïs Openda and Nantes’ Mostafa Mohamed (4).
On Sunday, it was Kevin Volland who had two assists, including one for Youssouf Fofana against Strasbourg to make it 4-2. When one looks at these numbers, it’s plain to see that matches aren’t won and lost only by the starting eleven! 📊
