Mikel Arteta raised eyebrows when he first described his substitutes as 'finishers', but the Arsenal boss has certainly had the last laugh.

For the third successive game and the fourth time in six matches across all competitions this season, a substitute – or, as Mikel Arteta would say, a 'finisher' – has come off the bench to fire Arsenal to victory.

Back in September 2025, when the Gunners kicked off their UEFA Champions League campaign with a win over Athletic Bilbao at the San Mamés Stadium, Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard came off the bench to decide the tie. Arsenal had struggled to break down the Basque outfit until the duo replaced Viktor Gyokeres and Eberechi Eze in the second half.

Together, they sealed the first of eight victories in the 'league phase'. Speaking to the BBC after the game, the Gunners boss raised eyebrows when he described his substitutes as 'finishers' for the first time, adding that he had learned the term – which he 'loves' – from rugby union.

When asked about the mentality of his players on the bench, Arteta said: "They are at least equally important, or more important. We have discussed that. The finishers are going to be more important this season, sometimes, than the starters.

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"We can change the game there, especially with the intensity that we play, and teams start to drop off. I'm very pleased to see that."

Then, speaking to reporters in the post-match press conference, Arteta doubled down and said: "Something that we always discuss is that the finishers have to impact the game, and Gabi and Leo came on to make the difference for the team.

"They was outstanding and the rest of the team as well. In many moments, they were at a very good level. When someone is able to win the game in those actions and be so clinical, it's exactly what we need because the threat can come from different ways and different players. I'm very pleased with that."

Just over a year later, and the rugby-style approach to substitutions is still in full effect, with Noni Madueke firing Arsenal to a hard-fought 1-0 win over Nottingham Forest at the City Ground on Sunday evening. It was no coincidence either.

It was the third successive game and the fourth time in six matches across all competitions this season where a player came off the bench to score and lead the Gunners to victory.

In addition to the former Chelsea winger's strike at the weekend, there were also Bukayo Saka vs Lille in the Champions League, as well as Bruno Guimaraes vs Leeds United and Sunderland in the Premier League.

On Sunday night, Arteta again referenced the important role of his 'finishers'. Now a Premier League champion, who has proved there was method to his madness, the Spaniard said: "We knew it would be the case and last time we didn't manage to win the game, but we did today.

"We had to earn it until the last second. They are a well-coached team and hard to break down. We had to take risks. They are a dangerous team. We had to manage the emotional part really well. We stayed focused, and the finishers made a huge impact."

If Arsenal are to defend the English top-flight title this season, and possibly win a European trophy, Arteta will need to ensure his 'finishers' are well-oiled and firing on all cylinders...