Explainers on football metrics, what they measure and where they mislead.
Two opening defeats, including a 5-0 loss to Chelsea, have given way to six games unbeaten and fourth place, with the draw against Manchester City offering the clearest evidence yet of a settling structure.
Andoni Iraola's side sit fourth in the Premier League, but a look at their underlying numbers shows a counter-attacking team being stifled and bailed out by elite finishing, Planet Football's data reveals.
A chaotic matchday 8 exposed Chelsea's ongoing discipline problems, revived questions over Arsenal's set-piece edge, and produced the lowest passing accuracy across a Premier League weekend in nearly seven years, writes The Analyst.
A Reddit-built statistical model crunching goals, assists and trophies this season puts Harry Kane top of the 2026 Ballon d'Or contenders, with Rodri trailing even Denis Undav, who isn't even nominated.
Harry Kane is the strong favourite to win the 2026 Ballon d'Or on raw scoring output, but the award has historically rewarded individuals even as football organised itself around collective systems.
Barcelona can become only the second team to win their first nine La Liga games as José Mourinho's Real Madrid arrive at Camp Nou unbeaten in five Clásicos, with the match going ahead despite unrest in the city.
Chelsea arrive at Stamford Bridge scoring well above their expected goals while Tottenham chase a first London derby win in seven, built on goals from distance.
Opta's supercomputer makes City slight favourites to extend their perfect start against a resurgent Manchester United, but their defensive wobble against Brighton offers a warning sign.
Barcelona head into Sunday's Camp Nou meeting as favourites and six points clear, with Lamine Yamal and Kylian Mbappé carrying a fixture asking whether it can matter as much without Messi and Ronaldo.
Seven games into the season, Arsenal have gone from the Premier League's deadliest set-piece side to one that can't convert a single corner — and the data suggests the problem isn't the delivery.
Alexia Putellas enters Ballon d'Or season as a leading contender after Barcelona's quadruple, with data from The Analyst (Opta) showing her as the club's chief creator and progressor of play even as the shortlist draws criticism for overlooking the NWSL.
After losing six key players in one summer, Unai Emery's reshaped Aston Villa have moved from a chaotic start to wins over Tottenham and Newcastle and a thumping Champions League victory.
