Opta Analyst

Premier League Fixture Difficulty: Who Has the Toughest Run-In? | Opta Analyst With nine games remaining for the majority of sides, we’ve looked at which teams have the hardest and easiest Premier League run-ins.

𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐞𝐫 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐠𝐮𝐞 𝐅𝐢𝐱𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐃𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐲

Which teams have the toughest/easiest fixtures between now and the end of the season?

Find out below... 👇

theanalyst.com/articles/pre...

Which Premier League Teams Will Qualify for the Champions League? The Opta Supercomputer’s Predictions | Opta Analyst Which Premier League clubs will do enough to qualify for next season’s Champions League? We look at the latest Opta supercomputer predictions.

𝐑𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐠𝐮𝐞

After three of the top six in the Premier League lost this midweek, what does the Opta supercomputer make of their chances of qualifying for next season's Champions League?

Find out below... 👇

theanalyst.com/articles/cha...

What to Expect From Mansfield Town When They Face Arsenal in the FA Cup | Opta Analyst Mansfield Town host Arsenal in the FA Cup on Saturday, but do Nigel Clough’s side stand a chance of causing a shock against the Premier League leaders?

Want to know more about Mansfield Town ahead of their FA Cup clash with Arsenal? We've got you.

Nigel Clough's side have already knocked out Sheffield United and Burnley in their cup run. Can they add the Gunners to the list? 👇

theanalyst.com/articles/man...

Was Aston Villa’s Dip in Form Inevitable According to xG? | Opta Analyst Aston Villa's form has dipped in recent weeks, which perhaps isn't all that surprising when you look at their xG numbers across the season.

Aston Villa were scoring lots of goals from distance earlier in the season, and that ability to outperform their xG regularly was winning them games.

Their form has dipped recently, though. We look at how much their xG can tell us about why that might be.

#AVFC

theanalyst.com/articles/ast...

Fabian Hürzeler Called Out Arsenal Over Time-Wasting, But Were They Really That Bad? | Opta Analyst Brighton boss Fabian Hürzeler was scathing of Arsenal's perceived timewasting at the Amex Stadium on Wednesday. Opta data can tell us how bad it really was.

𝐀𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐥: 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞-𝐖𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬?

Fabian Hürzeler was scathing of Arsenal after Wednesday's clash at the Amex Stadium.

But was his reaction justified, an overreaction or simply deflecting from his own team's issues?

theanalyst.com/articles/ars...

Milan vs Inter: Five Key Milan Derby Subplots as Rossoneri Title Hopes Enter Last-Chance Saloon | Opta Analyst Ahead of Sunday’s Derby della Madonnina, we look at five Milan vs Inter subplots and the Opta supercomputer's prediction. Can Milan revive the Serie A title race?

Sunday’s Derby della Madonnina perhaps gives Milan their last opportunity to threaten Inter’s Serie A title charge.

Ahead of the game at San Siro, we look at five key Milan vs Inter subplots.

theanalyst.com/articles/mil...

Promoted and Dismissed, Now Practically Safe: Sunderland Flip the Narrative by Reaching 40-Point Mark | Opta Analyst Few gave Sunderland much hope of avoiding relegation from the Premier League this season. And yet, they've reached the 'magical' 40-point mark by Matchday 29.

𝐈𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐖𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐎𝐟𝐟, 𝐍𝐨𝐰 𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐒𝐚𝐟𝐞

Since the 2001-02 season, only 6 promoted teams have taken more points by MD29 than Sunderland's 40 this term.

Few backed Sunderland to survive; they're virtually there already.

theanalyst.com/articles/sun...

Wolves 2-1 Liverpool Stats: Reds Stunned By Yet Another Stoppage-Time Winner | Opta Analyst A late goal was the scourge of Liverpool yet again. Look back on a thrilling end to the game with the best facts and Opta data in our Wolves vs Liverpool stats page.

Get all the key stats, our recap and use the Opta chalkboard for your own analysis below 👇

theanalyst.com/articles/wol...

𝐖𝐨𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝟐-𝟏 𝐋𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐩𝐨𝐨𝐥

Liverpool have lost five Premier League games thanks to 90th minute goals this season, the most ever by a team in a single campaign.

A miserable night for the Reds but a brilliant one for Wolves.

Wolves' first shot of the day, in the 78th minute.

Wolves 1-0 Liverpool

𝐋𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐬 𝟎-𝟏 𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝

Aside from their decisive penalty, Sunderland managed just two shots at Elland Road.

The Black Cats reach the 'magical' 40-point mark; only three teams have ever been relegated at the end of a 38-game Premier League season with 40+ pts.

𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐨𝐧 𝟐-𝟎 𝐁𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐥𝐞𝐲

Everton get their first Premier League home win since 6 December.

This was also their first win of the season against promoted opposition at the fifth attempt.

𝐁𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝟎-𝟎 𝐁𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐝

Bournemouth's 1.99 xG is their fourth most in a Premier League match without scoring (all seasons).

A missed opportunity for the Cherries.

𝐇𝐓: 𝐖𝐨𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝟎-𝟎 𝐋𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐩𝐨𝐨𝐥

Wolves failed to register a single shot in the first half of a home Premier League game for only the second time.

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall has scored six goals in all competitions this season.

He's only managed more in a single campaign during 2023-24 when playing for Leicester City in the Championship (17).

𝐇𝐓: 𝐁𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝟎-𝟎 𝐁𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐝

Brentford generated just 0.05 expected goals (xG) in the first half, their lowest first-half total in a Premier League match this season.

𝐇𝐓: 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐨𝐧 𝟏-𝟎 𝐁𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐥𝐞𝐲

Burnley are winless in their previous 38 Premier League matches when trailing at half-time (D4 L34) since a 2-1 win at Watford in April 2022.

𝐇𝐓: 𝐋𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐬 𝟎-𝟎 𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝

Leeds had 71% possession in the first half.

They've only managed 70+% possession twice on record (since 2003-04) over a full Premier League match.

Stat, Viz, Quiz 137: Lamine Yamal Keeps Being Amazing This week's Opta Analyst newsletter looks at Lamine Yamal's first Barcelona hat-trick, Everton's excellent away form, and an awful lot of 2-1 wins.

If you didn't subscribe in time, you can still read this week's newsletter here: 👇

newsletter.theanalyst.com/p/stat-viz-q...

𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭, 𝐕𝐢𝐳, 𝐐𝐮𝐢𝐳

This week's Opta Analyst newsletter looks at:

- Lamine Yamal's Hat-Trick;
- Everton's Away Form, and
- Repeated scorelines.

Sign up below for FREE to have it land in your inbox at 1pm (GMT) today 👇

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Blues and Reds: Just How Bad Is Chelsea's Disciplinary Record? | Opta Analyst Chelsea received their seventh red card of the 2025-26 Premier League season on Sunday. Why can't the Blues keep their discipline?

With seven red cards in 28 Premier League games, Chelsea are averaging a sending off every four matches in 2025-26.

@davidsegar.bsky.social has looked at just how big the Blues' disciplinary issue is.

#CFC

theanalyst.com/articles/che...

After Pedro Neto's red card against Arsenal yesterday, Chelsea have had nine different players sent off in all competitions this season.

Just two more and they could field an entire XI of players who have received red cards this season.

#CFC

Arsenal 2-1 Chelsea Stats: Corner Kings Secure London Derby Win Against 10-Man Blues | Opta Analyst Arsenal used corners to their advantage again to pick up a valuable three points against Chelsea in the Premier League.

Read our data-led report on Arsenal's win over Chelsea, and do your own analysis with our match centre.

#ARSCHE

theanalyst.com/articles/ars...

𝐀𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝟐-𝟏 𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐬𝐞𝐚

All three goals in this game came from corners as Arsenal restore their five-point advantage at the top of the table.

The Gunners' 16 goals from corners in the Premier League this season are the joint-most by any side in a single campaign.

#ARSCHE

Arsenal took a 1-0 lead in a Premier League game from a corner for the ninth time this season thanks to William Saliba.

However, after Piero Hincapié's own goal from a Chelsea corner just before half-time, the sides go in level at the break.

#ARSCHE

Michael Carrick Makes It Five League Wins from Five at Old Trafford to Close on Man Utd Record | Opta Analyst Michael Carrick has won each of his first five home league games in charge of Man Utd. Only one man has ever bettered that.

Michael Carrick has won each of his first five home league games as Man Utd boss (across both spells). Only one man has ever won more for the club.

Find out more here... 👇

theanalyst.com/articles/man...

𝐅𝐮𝐥𝐡𝐚𝐦 𝟐-𝟏 𝐓𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐡𝐚𝐦

It's 10 Premier League games in a row without a victory for Spurs (D4 L6), their longest winless spell in the competition since a run of 10 between January and March 1994 under Ossie Ardiles.

#FULTOT

𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐨𝐧 𝟐-𝟏 𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐡𝐚𝐦 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭

This was the first Premier League fixture to see three goals scored in the opening 15 minutes since Crystal Palace vs Arsenal in December 2024.

Very little happened after that, though.

#BRINFO

𝐌𝐚𝐧 𝐔𝐭𝐝 𝟐-𝟏 𝐂𝐫𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞

Maxence Lacroix put Palace ahead, but his red card and penalty concession allowed the hosts to turn it around.

United move up to third, and have avoided defeat in all five league games in which they've trailed in 2026.

#MUNCRY

Arsenal vs Chelsea: Five Key Subplots for Sunday's Massive London Derby | Opta Analyst Ahead of Sunday's Premier League London derby at the Emirates Stadium, we analyse five of the key subplots for Arsenal vs Chelsea.

Prepare for the game at the Emirates Stadium with our five key subplots. 👇

Can Arsenal regain their five-point advantage at the top of the Premier League, or will Chelsea throw a spanner in the works of the title race?

#ARSCHE

theanalyst.com/articles/ars...