After a strong season under Claude Puel in 2016, finishing 4th, Nice got even stronger under the control of Swiss manager Lucien Favre, finishing 3rd in Ligue 1 and securing a Champions League qualifying berth in 2017. However, as a (self-professed) stats guy, I like to look at Expected Goals – soccer analytics’ most popular model – to see if the league table lies.
Continue reading How in the World Does Nice Overperform Expected Goals? Part One: The Defence
I’m not sure if someone has already written about this or not. If you have, credit to you!
This article assumes an understanding of the flagship metric of the analytics movement xG (Expected Goals). I would advise reading this, this, and this if you are not familiar with the concept.
Interview by SideLineTeamTalk
Nick Gearing is Head of Analysis at League 2 Leyton Orient and runs courses for aspiring analysts. If you’ve ever wondered what analysts do or if you could be one then this will be perfect for you and, we hope, very insightful.
Continue reading How to be a Football Analyst – Interview with Nick Gearing
Three years ago, a team in Madrid scored 18 goals and conceded 6 from set pieces and beat Barcelona and Real Madrid to the Spanish La Liga title. While many small Premier League teams are famous for utilizing free-kicks, corners, and throw-ins, only Atlético Madrid have used set plays to win a title in a prestigious league. Diego Simeone’s team reached the final of the Champions League, too.
Continue reading A Header from Sergio Ramos: Why are Real Madrid So Good at Set Pieces?
There is something about Brazil and great full-backs, isn’t there? Recent World Cup outings of Brazil often featured the greatest full-backs in the world, such as Carlos Alberto, Roberto Carlos, Cafu, Maicon, and Dani Alves. They practically redefined the position, making it more attacking-oriented and creative. Even now, the full-back position is ruled by brilliant Brazilians. Marcelo, an aging Dani Alves, Danilo, and Alex Sandro are some well-known full-backs.
Continue reading The Best Full-back in the World: Emerson Palmieri
After 12 games newly promoted Middlesbrough sit in 15th place with 11 points. They are one point from the relegation zone and have scored just 10 goals while conceding 13. While not supporting a single Premier League team I do have a soft spot for Middlesbrough, and this made me want to have a look at how they are performing.
Continue reading How are Middlesbrough Performing this Season?
After the triumph of last season, Leicester City find themselves sitting in a disappointing 14th spot in the Premier League after 11 games. So, what’s happened? How much worse are they performing compared to last season? How much of an effect has the loss of N’Golo Kanté had? Are the additional Champions League games proving a distraction? I’ll investigate these questions, looking at the numbers to try and find answers.
