Newcastle's leaky defence meets Everton's conceding problem again
Four days after Everton beat Newcastle in the EFL Cup, the same defensive flaws on both sides return to the fore in Monday's Premier League meeting at St. James' Park.
Data Analysis
Explainers on football metrics, what they measure and where they mislead.
Brighton's five-year assault on the Big Six is no accident
A 1-0 win over Manchester City has pushed Brighton level with City and Arsenal for most wins against the Big Six since 2021 — and the underlying numbers explain why it keeps happening.
Alessia Russo one goal from Fran Kirby's English UWCL record
A first Champions League hat-trick took Alessia Russo to 20 group-phase goals as Arsenal beat Benfica 3-0, with the England striker now on course to pass Fran Kirby in far fewer appearances.
Liverpool's defensive revival collides with Arsenal's miserly machine
Andoni Iraola's resurgent Liverpool host the Premier League's stingiest defence at Anfield, in a fixture that will test whether their new solidity can match Arsenal's season-long parsimony.
Manchester United's Control Experiment Is Backfiring on Michael Carrick
Opta data shows United have more of the ball than last season but worse chances at both ends, and Michael Carrick now has three brutal fixtures to prove the approach can work.
The Numbers Behind Aston Villa's Bet on Nicolas Jackson
Unai Emery paid a club-record fee to replace Ollie Watkins with a striker whose Chelsea spell was defined by missed chances — but the underlying data always pointed to quality.
Chelsea Spread the Goals Around to Cover for Sam Kerr's Exit
Sonia Bompastor has replaced one prolific striker with a collective attacking model, and the underlying numbers back up the eye test.
Carrick's Manchester United Crisis Meets Chelsea's Own Slump
Opta's simulations make Chelsea favourites at Stamford Bridge, but both sides arrive out of form, short on key players and chasing a first win in weeks.
FPL Gameweek 9: Four low-owned picks worth a punt
Opta data points to Aston Villa's Zion Suzuki, Bournemouth's António Silva, Brentford's Kristoffer Ajer and Tottenham's Mohammed Kudus as differentials under 10% ownership for Fantasy Premier League managers.
Liverpool v Arsenal: the numbers behind Anfield's big test
Arsenal chase a landmark away win against a side they rarely beat at Anfield, while two of the league's stingiest defences threaten to make goals scarce on Sunday.
Harry Kane's Ballon d'Or Caps an Eleven-Season Arc From Leyton Orient Loan
Harry Kane's rise from a loan spell at Leyton Orient to the first English Ballon d'Or since Michael Owen was built on relentless output rather than reinvention, and it raises a harder question: who follows him?
Mateus Fernandes Gives Tottenham the Midfield Platform De Zerbi Always Wanted
Tottenham's win at Chelsea was built on a deeper, more controlled midfield role for Mateus Fernandes, whose numbers under pressure point to a long-term solution for Roberto De Zerbi's system.