arteta stats xg
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How Stats Are Warping the Way We Watch Football

ByPaddy Keogh

You’d be surprised how many opinions about a footballer’s performance now hinge on a number between 6.3 and 8.1. No context, no nuance, just a number. This is what happens when apps like Sofascore and FotMob go from being helpful tools to being the entire conversation. The overreliance on football stats is not just changing…

Jose-Mourinho-Tactico-Tacticos
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Football Tacticos and the Death of Football Conversation

ByPaddy Keogh

“You see, they’re in a 3-2-5 in possession, inverted full-backs creating the box midfield. But out of possession, it’s more of a 4-2-2-2, with the wingers engaging the second phase in a hybrid press.” Now, read that again and ask yourself, what have you actually learned? The rise of Football Tacticos – those self-styled tactical…

James Tarkowski battling against Omar Marmoush
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Everton 0-2 Manchester City: How Guardiola Found a Late Answer to Save UCL Hopes

ByCerebralcardo

With just five games left of the 2024/25 season, each game comes with an added incentive. Manchester City are chasing the European places, and Everton are hoping to end their final season at Goodison on a high. Looking past the final result, this game was a clash of contrasting styles: Pep Guardiola’s possession-dominant football vs…

Match Report: Manchester United U21’s 0-1 Fulham – Ayden Heaven Makes Debut In Tough Game
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Match Report: Manchester United U21’s 0-1 Fulham – Ayden Heaven Makes Debut In Tough Game

ByDylanMcBennett

Manchester United hosted a really tough opponent tonight in the shape of Fulham’s U21’s at Leigh Sports Village, and it was a chance to give a run out to some of the U18’s looking to gain some more senior experience. Among the starting eleven was United’s January signing Ayden Heaven, who oozed composure throughout his…

Who is The Best Goalkeeper in the Premier League? The Stats Don’t Lie!
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Who is The Best Goalkeeper in the Premier League? The Stats Don’t Lie!

ByBrianCorry

When Aston Villa goalkeeper, Emi Martinez denied Dominguez from point-blank range earlier this season, it was more than just a save, to many it was the best Premier League save, ever. But does that make him the Premier League’s best? The game of football has changed. The simplicity of a post-game discussion based around what…

Dominik Szoboszlai
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Dominik Szoboszlai’s Transformation into Arne Slot’s Key Midfield Conductor at Liverpool

ByCerebralcardo

When Dominik Szoboszlai arrived at Liverpool in the summer of 2023, he was seen as a promising but not guaranteed success. The £60 million signing from RB Leipzig had talent in abundance, yet some questioned how he would fit into Jürgen Klopp’s high-octane style. Despite displaying flashes of what he showed in the Bundesliga in…

Ivan Jurić
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How Ivan Jurić Could Revolutionise Southampton & Tip the Scales of Their Survival Push

ByChristian Lovegrove

Newly-appointed Ivan Urić was relatively accomplished in Italy despite a recent rough tenure with Roma. But what is his tactical prowess? How will he adapt this to suit Southampton and their plethora of players? Russell Martin’s biggest problem was his inability to accumulate points alongside his philosophy in the Premier League, so it is hardly…