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Opta Analyst

@optaanalyst.optajoe.com

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Data-driven storytelling for sport. 📈 U.S. sports @optaanalystus.optajoe.com https://www.theanalyst.com Sign up for our Stat, Viz, Quiz football newsletter: http://theanalyst.com/sign-up

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Opta Analyst @optaanalyst.optajoe.com · 11h

‘𝐈’𝐯𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫’

With an astonishing 1⃣9⃣ goals in his last 🔟 games, Erling Haaland is in the form of his life.

Is he, 𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑒ℎ𝑜𝑤, getting even better, asks @alitweedale.bsky.social?

theanalyst.com/articles/erl...

Opta Analyst @optaanalyst.optajoe.com · 12h

🔝 Top of the league
📈 Deservedly there, according to the data
🖥️ Title favourites with the Opta supercomputer for the first time since April 2023

Arsenal are only one point clear at the top of the table, but is there any catching them?

✍️ @alitweedale.bsky.social

theanalyst.com/articles/ars...

Arsenal Are Just One Point Clear at the Top of the Premier League, But Is There Any Catching Them? | Opta Analyst

Arsenal are top of the Premier League and are the favourites to win the title with the Opta supercomputer. Is their one-point lead somehow unassailable?

Opta Analyst @optaanalyst.optajoe.com · 13h

𝐅𝐏𝐋 𝐏𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐬: Gameweek 8 📈

Who are the players to add to your Fantasy Premier League team for Gameweek 8 of 2025-26?

We use data to bring you our under-the-radar FPL picks ahead of the weekend.

theanalyst.com/articles/fpl...

The 10% Club: Opta's Best Under-the-Radar FPL Picks for Gameweek 8 | Opta Analyst

Who are the players to add to your Fantasy Premier League team for Gameweek 8 of 2025-26? We use data to bring you our under-the-radar picks.

Opta Analyst @optaanalyst.optajoe.com · 13h

Haralabos Voulgaris bought Spanish second division side Castellón after leaving the NBA and Dallas Mavericks. Now, he is slowly building a culture of data-driven decision-making.

@robbiejdunne.bsky.social met with the Canadian owner to talk over his plans.

theanalyst.com/articles/har...

Inside Spanish Football's Most Innovative Project — Led by a Former NBA Number Cruncher | Opta Analyst

Haralabos Voulgaris bought Castellón after leaving the Dallas Mavericks and is slowly building a culture of data-driven decision-making.

Opta Analyst @optaanalyst.optajoe.com · 1d

𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭, 𝐕𝐢𝐳, 𝐐𝐮𝐢𝐳

This week's newsletter includes the latest Opta supercomputer projections for this season's Premier League. Good news for Arsenal, bad news for Burnley.

Click below to read and subscribe for FREE. ⬇️

theanalyst.com/articles/foo...

Will Arsenal Win the Premier League?

Stat, Viz, Quiz is the weekly Opta Analyst football newsletter. This week's edition looks at Austria, the Opta supercomputer, and direct free-kicks.

Opta Analyst @optaanalyst.optajoe.com · 1d

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐱𝐆 𝐅𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐬

Erling Haaland's shots in the Premier League this season have been worth 7.77 xG.

That's more than double the non-penalty xG of any other player in 2025-26... 🤯

For loads more key insights from various xG metrics, click below 👇

theanalyst.com/articles/prem...

Reposted by Opta Analyst

Opta Analyst US @optaanalystus.optajoe.com · 3d

DK Metcalf has been a touchdown machine for the Steelers.

Opta Analyst @optaanalyst.optajoe.com · 5d

16:05 vs Liverpool
89:23 vs Man City
57:14 vs Newcastle

Opta Analyst @optaanalyst.optajoe.com · 5d

We look at every team’s time spent in each game state across 2025-26 after seven matchdays.

theanalyst.com/articles/pre...

In Control or Leaving it Late? Analysing Premier League Game States in 2025-26 | Opta Analyst

We look at each team’s time spent in winning, drawing and losing positions after seven matchdays of the Premier League season.

Opta Analyst @optaanalyst.optajoe.com · 5d

𝐆𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 ⏱

Which teams have held a winning position the longest in the Premier League this season, and who has spent the most time trailing?

We look at every team’s time spent in each game state across 2025-26 after seven matchdays.

Opta Analyst @optaanalyst.optajoe.com · 5d

Last night saw England name a starting XI without a player from at least one of Chelsea, Liverpool or Manchester United for the first time since June 1992 against France.

Opta Analyst @optaanalyst.optajoe.com · 5d

𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬: 𝐁𝐢𝐠-𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐲 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐫𝐬 📝

Some Premier League clubs invested 𝑎 𝑙𝑜𝑡 on new centre-forwards in the summer 💰

Those deals arguably defined the transfer window.

But, 2 months into the season, how are those strikers getting on?

We gave them speculative grades...
theanalyst.com/articles/pre...

Big-Money Centre-Forward Report Cards: Grading the Starts of New Premier League Strikers | Opta Analyst

The summer transfer window was a centre-forward merry-go-round. Here, we assess how the big-money strikers are getting on and give them each a speculative grade.

Opta Analyst @optaanalyst.optajoe.com · 5d

How long is a Premier League game, and how much time in the ball in play in reality?

🔄 What % of time is the ball in play?
⌚ Which teams take the longest to restart play?
🕐 Who sees the lowest % of time with the ball in play?

Read our analysis: theanalyst.com/articles/pre...

Opta Analyst @optaanalyst.optajoe.com · 7d

Semenyo has had 17 shots this season. With his feet, they're split evenly between his right (8) and his left (8).

His six goals are also split perfectly: 3 on his right, 3 on his left.

Is Bournemouth's two-footed star the most in-form player in the Premier League?
theanalyst.com/articles/ant...

Right Now, Antoine Semenyo is the Best Player in the Premier League | Opta Analyst

Antoine Semenyo is driving Bournemouth’s best-ever season. The stats prove he’s not just their star — he might be the Premier League’s most in-form player.

Opta Analyst @optaanalyst.optajoe.com · 7d

There's a strong case that he's the best player in the Premier League right now, as we discuss here:

theanalyst.com/articles/ant...

Right Now, Antoine Semenyo is the Best Player in the Premier League | Opta Analyst

Antoine Semenyo is driving Bournemouth’s best-ever season. The stats prove he’s not just their star — he might be the Premier League’s most in-form player.

Opta Analyst @optaanalyst.optajoe.com · 7d

Antoine Semenyo has been involved in 81.8% of Bournemouth goals this season (9/11).

Remarkable numbers 🔥

Opta Analyst @optaanalyst.optajoe.com · 8d

🚨 We sent today's newsletter to a selection of email addresses from a new provider today, so if you are already a subscriber and can't spot it in your inbox, please do check your junk/spam folder.

Opta Analyst @optaanalyst.optajoe.com · 8d

𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭, 𝐕𝐢𝐳, 𝐐𝐮𝐢𝐳

In this week's Opta Analyst newsletter, we look at Pep Guardiola reaching 250 Premier League wins quicker than any other manager, and other data-focused bits and bobs.

Click below to read and subscribe 👇

theanalyst.com/articles/foo...

Pep Guardiola Races to 250 Premier League Wins

Stat, Viz, Quiz is the weekly Opta Analyst football newsletter. This week's edition looks at Pep Guardiola, the Premier League, and Mohamed Salah.

Opta Analyst @optaanalyst.optajoe.com · 8d

Bournemouth have scored 18 Premier League goals since mid-April.

Semenyo has either scored (10) or assisted (4) a ridiculous 77.7% of them.

Is he the best player in the Premier League right now? We look into the data to find out 📊🍒 theanalyst.com/articles/ant...

Right Now, Antoine Semeyo is the Best Player in the Premier League | Opta Analyst

Antoine Semenyo is driving Bournemouth’s best-ever season. The stats prove he’s not just their star — he might be the Premier League’s most in-form player.

Reposted by Opta Analyst

Ali Tweedale @alitweedale.bsky.social · 8d

This season, fewer goals are being scored than in most other Premier League seasons...

...but we're seeing the highest ever rate of 90th-minute goals AND 90th-minute winners.

I had a go at trying to work out why this might be

theanalyst.com/articles/pre...

Why Are Premier League 90th-Minute Winners at an All-Time High? | Opta Analyst

The Premier League in 2025-26 is witnessing more late goals and winners than any other season in the competition's history.

Opta Analyst @optaanalyst.optajoe.com · 8d

📉Goals are down... but
🤔90th-minute goals are up

And 90th-minute winners are more common than ever before.

What are the reasons behind all this late drama?

@alitweedale.bsky.social delves into the numbers 🔍

theanalyst.com/articles/pre...

Why Are Premier League 90th-Minute Winners at an All-Time High? | Opta Analyst

The Premier League in 2025-26 is witnessing more late goals and winners than any other season in the competition's history.

Opta Analyst @optaanalyst.optajoe.com · 8d

We look in more details at the shortest managerial spells in the competition’s history.

theanalyst.com/articles/sho...

The Shortest Managerial Reigns in the Premier League | Opta Analyst

Which managers have had the shortest managerial spells in Premier League history? Here, we identify the 10 briefest reigns.

Opta Analyst @optaanalyst.optajoe.com · 8d

Which managers have spent the fewest days in charge of a Premier League club before leaving?

Opta Analyst @optaanalyst.optajoe.com · 8d

Mohamed Salah has six goal involvements in 10 games for Liverpool this season, which would be fine for most, but for a player of his ability, that's considered underperforming.

@davidsegar.bsky.social has looked at the Egyptian's data to see what the issues could be.

theanalyst.com/articles/moh...

Why Liverpool Are Struggling to Get the Best Out of Mohamed Salah | Opta Analyst

Liverpool have struggled to get the best out of Mohamed Salah this season. We look at what some of the causes of his slump might be.

Opta Analyst @optaanalyst.optajoe.com · 8d

We analyse the difficulty of each side's draw in the UWCL league phase.

theanalyst.com/articles/uef...

UEFA Women’s Champions League 2025-26: Who Has the Hardest League-Phase Fixtures? | Opta Analyst

The 2025-26 UEFA Women’s Champions League kicks off tonight with a new format. Which teams have the hardest and easiest fixtures?