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David Segar

@davidsegar

Sports Data Journalist for Opta Analyst. Author of 'Kloppite'. Celebrates the Feast of Maximum Occupancy.

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12.11.2024
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Latest posts by David Segar @davidsegar

Preview
Are Olise and Díaz Really the New Robben and Ribéry? | Opta Analyst Michael Olise and Luis Díaz have drawn comparisons to Arjen Robben and Franck Ribéry. Which Bayern Munich pair is better, though?

Bayern Munich wingers Michael Olise and Luis Díaz have been compared to the iconic pair of Arjen Robben and Franck Ribéry, so @davidsegar.bsky.social has looked into the data to see how valid those comparisons are.

theanalyst.com/articles/mic...

18.02.2026 17:08 👍 1 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0
Preview
Liverpool Are Starting to See the Real Florian Wirtz | Opta Analyst Liverpool’s £100m summer signing was expected to hit the ground running. He didn’t, but Florian Wirtz is starting to show why few questioned his price tag.

After a slow start to life in England, Florian Wirtz has become one of Liverpool's most important players in recent weeks.

Ahead of their home game with Manchester City, @davidsegar.bsky.social has taken a look at how the 22-year-old has adapted at Anfield.

#LFC

theanalyst.com/articles/liv...

05.02.2026 17:08 👍 7 🔁 3 💬 0 📌 0
Preview
Aerially Dominant and Composed on the Ball: Who is Liverpool’s Summer Signing Jérémy Jacquet? | Opta Analyst Liverpool have agreed to sign Rennes centre-back Jérémy Jacquet, with the 20-year-old not arriving until the summer. What will the Reds be getting?

Liverpool have secured a deal for Rennes centre-back Jérémy Jacquet, though the 20-year-old will not move to the Premier League until the summer.

But what will the Reds eventually be getting? @davidsegar.bsky.social looks at his data. 👇

theanalyst.com/articles/jer...

02.02.2026 22:41 👍 15 🔁 5 💬 1 📌 0
Preview
Where Have All the Thrashings Gone? We Are Seeing Fewer Big Wins in the Premier League in 2025-26 | Opta Analyst There have been only six games in the Premier League this season in which a team has won by at least four goals. So, where have our thrashings gone?

Whether you call it a 'thrashing', a 'hammering' or a 'walloping', we are seeing fewer big wins in the Premier League this season.

@davidsegar.bsky.social investigates further. 👇

theanalyst.com/articles/pre...

04.02.2026 12:53 👍 4 🔁 2 💬 0 📌 0
Preview
Five Wins in 18 Premier League Games: Liverpool Have Been Struggling for Almost Half a Season | Opta Analyst Saturday's loss at Bournemouth was the latest disappointment in a season full of them for Liverpool. Can Arne Slot turn things around at Anfield?

Liverpool have won just five of their last 18 Premier League games, and @23carra.bsky.social believes his former side are "unsuited" to their own domestic league.

@davidsegar.bsky.social has looked into where the champions' season has gone wrong to this point.

#LFC

theanalyst.com/articles/liv...

27.01.2026 13:47 👍 93 🔁 11 💬 16 📌 4
Preview
Why are there so many goalless draws in the Premier League this season? Passes, shots and goals are all down on last season. It might keep tacticians happy but it’s not as much fun

There have already been more 0-0 draws in the Premier League this season than there were in the whole of 2023-24 or 2024-25. I've taken a look through the data to see if there's any clear reason why the goalless draw is back.

www.theguardian.com/football/202...

22.01.2026 13:11 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Preview
Why Chelsea Are Considering Appointing Liam Rosenior | Opta Analyst With Liam Rosenior being linked to the Chelsea job, we take a look at his credentials to see if he would be a good fit at Stamford Bridge.

Liam Rosenior is reportedly the frontrunner to be the next Chelsea head coach.

@davidsegar.bsky.social has looked at the Strasbourg boss' credentials to see why the Blues are apparently considering him.

#CFC

theanalyst.com/articles/lia...

02.01.2026 18:27 👍 3 🔁 1 💬 2 📌 1
Preview
Liverpool Must Solve Their Set-Piece Struggles | Opta Analyst No team has conceded more set-piece goals (excluding penalties) than Liverpool in Europe's top five leagues this season. What is their issue?

Liverpool have improved in recent weeks, but they're still struggling at both ends when it comes to set-pieces.

I've had a look at the numbers and they're not pretty. The good news is if they can be fixed, it should make things a lot easier for them.

theanalyst.com/articles/liv...

30.12.2025 09:38 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
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Kim Hellberg Already Has Middlesbrough Fans Forgetting About Rob Edwards | Opta Analyst Middlesbrough have moved on without Rob Edwards, and are flying high under new boss Kim Hellberg. Are they now better than before?

Middlesbrough were somewhat left in the lurch when Rob Edwards left for Wolves last month, but his replacement, Kim Hellberg, has made a brilliant start.

Boro are on the rise, and @davidsegar.bsky.social has looked into why they turned to Hellberg.

theanalyst.com/articles/mid...

18.12.2025 15:02 👍 3 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0
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Hugo Ekitiké's Compelling Case to be Liverpool’s Main Striker | Opta Analyst The form of Hugo Ekitiké has been a rare highlight for Liverpool this season. We look at just how impressive the France international has been.

Last season, no player in Europe's top five leagues underperformed against their xG more than Hugo Ekitiké. This season, only two players in the Premier League have overperformed against their xG more.

@davidsegar.bsky.social looks at his impressive start at #LFC.

theanalyst.com/articles/hug...

17.12.2025 08:15 👍 29 🔁 1 💬 3 📌 1
Preview
Were Mohamed Salah’s Fiery Comments About Arne Slot and Liverpool Justified? | Opta Analyst After Mohamed Salah's fiery comments about Liverpool and Arne Slot, we look at what it could mean for the future of the club and player.

Were Mohamed Salah’s fiery comments justified?

@davidsegar.bsky.social has gone over the quotes and Salah's form this season to try and make sense of the Liverpool star's outburst, and what it could mean for the future of the player and the club?

#LFC

theanalyst.com/articles/moh...

08.12.2025 11:14 👍 3 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 1
Preview
Which Teams Have Been Winning and Losing Longest in the Premier League This Season? | Opta Analyst Which teams are spending the most time winning, losing, or drawing in the Premier League in 2025-26? We look at the numbers.

Football is all about winning, losing, or drawing. But which Premier League teams are spending most time in those game states in 2025-26?

@davidsegar.bsky.social has had a big dive into the numbers. 👇

theanalyst.com/articles/pre...

11.11.2025 17:40 👍 1 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0
Preview
Bournemouth's Relentless Intensity Can Help Them Take Next Step by Ending Etihad Losing Streak | Opta Analyst Ahead of their trip to Manchester City, we take a closer look at Bournemouth's impressive run of form in the early weeks of the 2025-26 season.

It has been an impressive run of form for Bournemouth in the early weeks of the 2025-26 season. We take a closer look at Andoni Iraola’s men ahead of Sunday's trip to Manchester City.

✍️ @davidsegar.bsky.social

theanalyst.com/articles/bou...

30.10.2025 13:38 👍 1 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0
Preview
Everyone Is Going Long Against Liverpool, and It's Working | Opta Analyst Liverpool have lost four league games in a row for the first time since 2021, and there is a fairly obvious trend that has been present all season.

Arne Slot has mentioned more than once about Liverpool coming up against a lot of long passes this season.

I've looked at the data to see just how often it's happening, how long it's been going on, and tried to figure out why teams are doing it.

#LFC

theanalyst.com/articles/liv...

28.10.2025 13:03 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Preview
Jean-Philippe Mateta: Crystal Palace’s Late Bloomer is Among Europe’s Best Strikers | Opta Analyst Some doubted him after his first couple of seasons in England, but Crystal Palace's Jean-Philippe Mateta is now one of the best forwards around.

Since Oliver Glasner became Crystal Palace boss, only Erling Haaland (43), Mohamed Salah (34) and Alexander Isak (34) have more Premier League goals than Jean-Philippe Mateta (32).

@davidsegar.bsky.social has take a closer look at the Frenchman's impressive numbers.

theanalyst.com/articles/jea...

23.10.2025 14:09 👍 5 🔁 2 💬 0 📌 0
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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...

10.10.2025 07:12 👍 9 🔁 6 💬 0 📌 2
Preview
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.

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...

07.10.2025 12:13 👍 5 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0
Preview
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.

Mohamed Salah is a phenomenon, but his numbers have been down this season for Liverpool.

It's still early days in 2025-26, but there is plenty of data to look at to try and get to the bottom of Salah's dip in form, so I've given it all a good peruse.

#LFC

theanalyst.com/articles/moh...

07.10.2025 12:12 👍 3 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
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Was a pleasure to be on Premier League Friday on Sky Sports News outlining how big a part set pieces are playing this season. A shame my lighting made me look like the whitest man alive, but was still fun.

03.10.2025 17:54 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Preview
Liverpool’s Away Form Must Improve if They Want to Challenge on All Fronts | Opta Analyst After back-to-back away defeats, Liverpool's excellent start to the season suddenly feels a long time ago. Bad results on the road aren't a new thing either.

Liverpool's recent away form has been shaky, losing five of their last eight on the road, but going further back there has been a noticeable dip in their away performances for a while now.

@davidsegar.bsky.social takes a closer look. ⬇️

theanalyst.com/articles/liv...

#LFC

01.10.2025 15:43 👍 15 🔁 2 💬 2 📌 0
Preview
More Long Balls, Fewer High Turnovers, and Set-Piece Reliance: Are Premier League Teams Going More Direct? | Opta Analyst After five matchdays of the 2025-26 Premier League season, we look into claims that teams have become more direct in their play.

Some aspects of this Premier League season have almost felt 'throwback', with teams seemingly going a bit more direct.

I've looked at so many numbers my eyes have crossed, but found some interesting tidbits from the early weeks of the campaign. 👇

theanalyst.com/articles/pre...

24.09.2025 14:53 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Preview
Is Ryan Gravenberch Evolving Again? | Opta Analyst Ryan Gravenberch shone in Liverpool's win over Everton. We analyse the Dutchman's excellent start to the 2025-26 season.

Ryan Gravenberch has scored twice in four Premier League games this season, having only found the net once in his previous 63 games in the competition.

@davidsegar.bsky.social takes a look at the seemingly constantly evolving Dutchman and his impressive form.

#LFC

theanalyst.com/articles/rya...

22.09.2025 15:40 👍 11 🔁 2 💬 0 📌 0
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Why Ousmane Dembélé Is Favourite to Win the 2025 Ballon d’Or | Opta Analyst PSG's Ousmane Dembélé is the favourite to win the prestigious men’s Ballon d’Or. We look at his data to see why that might be.

Ousmane Dembélé is the favourite to win the men's Ballon d'Or award on Monday, having recorded 46 goal involvements on his way to winning a treble with PSG.

@davidsegar.bsky.social takes a closer look at Dembélé's credentials. 👇

#BallondOr

theanalyst.com/articles/ous...

19.09.2025 08:25 👍 6 🔁 2 💬 2 📌 1
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Looking at a 38-game rolling points total for Nottingham Forest in the Premier League since the start of 2022-23, it's clear the extent to which Nuno Espírito Santo improved them during his time at the club.

Click below for more data on Nuno's time at Forest.

theanalyst.com/articles/nun...

#NFFC

09.09.2025 14:59 👍 12 🔁 6 💬 0 📌 1
Preview
Alexander Isak to Liverpool: Why Swedish Striker Is Worth British Record £125m Transfer Fee | Opta Analyst With Alexander Isak close to becoming the most expensive player in British football history, we look at what has made Liverpool willing to part with £125m.

With Alexander Isak edging closer to joining Liverpool in what would be a British record transfer, I decided to see if he's any good.

Presumably Liverpool have already done that, but yes, he is. 👍

#LFC

theanalyst.com/articles/ale...

01.09.2025 16:10 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Oh my God yes, I have been doing this for the last two years! 😂

17.08.2025 18:36 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Preview
Could 2025-26 Be the Strongest the Premier League Has Ever Been? | Opta Analyst Ahead of the 2025-26 Premier League season, we ask how strong the English top flight is and outline why it might be one of the most competitive in years.

Some argued that the Premier League was weak last season, which was a bit weird if you actually watched it properly and saw how good even teams in the bottom half played. I've done some data digging to see if perhaps the opposite might even be true.

theanalyst.com/articles/pre...

14.08.2025 14:06 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 1
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Liverpool 2025-26 Preview: Five Key Questions Ahead of the New Season | Opta Analyst Liverpool will be hoping to successfully defend their Premier League crown in 2025-26. We ask five key questions for Arne Slot's side.

🤔 Can Liverpool go again?
😬 Do they need more defenders?
⚽ Will they cope with Mo Salah’s AFCON absence?

We pose these questions and more ahead of Liverpool's Premier League opener against Bournemouth on Friday.

#LFC

theanalyst.com/articles/liv...

12.08.2025 10:02 👍 5 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0
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João Palhinha Adds Much-Needed Steel to Spurs’ Midfield, But Is His Passing Too Limited? | Opta Analyst With João Palhinha close to signing for Tottenham on loan, we look to see why Thomas Frank wants him back in the Premier League.

João Palhinha to Tottenham took many by surprise, but dig into the numbers and you can see why he'd suit a Thomas Frank team, at least defensively.

What about going to other way, though? @davidsegar.bsky.social looks at Palhinha's data to see what to expect.

#THFC

theanalyst.com/articles/joa...

01.08.2025 16:32 👍 6 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 1
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Luis Díaz, He’s From Barrancas, and He Plays for Bayern Munich | Opta Analyst With Luis Díaz completing his move to Bayern Munich, we look back on his time at Liverpool and see what the Bundesliga champions are getting.

After three and a half years, 41 goals and 16 assists in 148 games for Liverpool, Luis Díaz has left to join Bayern Munich.

@davidsegar.bsky.social looks at the Colombian's time in England, and what he could offer the Bundesliga giants.

#LFC #FCB

theanalyst.com/articles/lui...

31.07.2025 12:02 👍 1 🔁 2 💬 0 📌 1