Nothing captures the imagination of a football fan quite like the emergence of wonderkids, players surrounded by both high hopes and expectations, and significant uncertainty. Predicting the career trajectory of… Wonderkids: 2021 Outlook
Of the wonderkids born in 2001 or later, Ansu Fati is the most likely to reach “world-class player” status, according to our analysis. In the final third he participates effectively… Wonderkids: Ansu Fati
A skillful winger with an eye for goal, Rodrygo has just under 100 professional appearances and a debut with the Seleçao on his CV. These are, of course, outstanding accomplishments… Wonderkids: Rodrygo
Pedri has quickly established himself as a regular starter for FC Barcelona, no easy feat for an 18-year-old coming from the Segunda División. He has tended to play as an… Wonderkids: Pedri
From the origins of data analytics in football to FC Liverpool’s dominance, we explore how stats and algorithms are changing the Beautiful Game.
La Liga at the moment looks like a congested motorway during rush hour, with several teams side-by-side at the top. However, with Lionel Messi back from injury and in very… La Liga: Heavy Traffic on the road to Glory
Headings require three key skills: a good timing, jumping reach and coordination. In the top 5 leagues, three forwards stand out for their heading skills: Giroud (Chelsea), Pavoletti (Cagliari) and… Top heading players in European football
Who have been the best free-kick takers in Europe over the past five years? Lionel Messi? Cristiano Ronaldo? According to our research, neither of the two. After analysing all the free-kicks taken in… Bend it like Beckham: the top free-kick takers in Europe
Goalkeepers save 69% of the opponents’ shots on target, on average. The save ratios differ greatly depending on whether the shots are taken inside or outside the box (60% and 85%, respectively).… The Vitruvian Goalie: A deep dive into the goalkeepers’ stats
Final part of our trilogy of posts dedicated to ball possession in European football. We look into the recurring build-up patterns of four top European teams: Barcelona, Man City, Napoli… Ball possession in European football (part 3)
