Opta AnalystArticle
Possession Is No Longer Nine Tenths of the Law in the Premier League
Teams with less possession are winning more often in the Premier League. Is this just a quirk or is there something deeper to the numbers?
Football (Soccer)
- Opta Analyst
- Opta Analyst
Article
Winning Starts and WSL Titles: Are Manchester City on Course to Retain Their Crown in 2026-27?
Reigning WSL champions Man City are the only team to have a 100% record after five matchdays of the 2026-27 season. Can anyone stop them?
- Opta Analyst
Article
WSL Matchday 5: The Opta Stats That Defined the Weekend
Man City and Chelsea stayed unbeaten, London City stunned Tottenham, and Arsenal's struggles continued. The standout Opta stats from WSL MD5.
- Opta Analyst
Article
Croatia vs England Prediction: UEFA Nations League Preview
We look ahead to Saturday's UEFA Nations League matchup with our Croatia vs England prediction and preview.
- Opta Analyst
Article
Manchester City vs Arsenal Prediction: WSL Preview
We look ahead to this huge WSL encounter at the Joie Stadium on Sunday with our Man City vs Arsenal prediction and preview.
- Opta Analyst
Article
Tottenham vs London City Lionesses Prediction: WSL Preview
We look ahead to Sunday afternoon’s London derby in the WSL with our Tottenham vs London City Lionesses prediction and preview.
- Opta Analyst
Article
Celebrating 1,500 WSL Matches: Looking Back on the League’s Most Statistically Significant Games
With the 1,500th WSL game set to be played this weekend, we look back at some of the matches that hold statistical significance across the competition’s history.
- Opta Analyst
Article
Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal: An Avoidably Fractious End to One of International Football’s Greatest Careers?
After leaving Portugal's training camp, it would seem Cristiano Ronaldo's international career has come to a tense end. It didn't need to be like this.
- Opta Analyst
Article
Have Premier League Corners Been Fixed By the Increased Scrutiny on Grappling?
Premier League referees have been told to clamp down on holding at corners, and it appears in the numbers as though there has been an immediate impact.
- Opta Analyst
Article
Make or Break for Renée Slegers? Man City Test Awaits Under-Pressure Arsenal Boss
Arsenal Women are struggling to turn control into attacking threat. We examine the data behind their lack of cutting edge in the WSL in 2026-27.
- Opta Analyst
Article
Premier League Fixture Difficulty vs Results: Which Teams Have Defied Expectations?
We look back at pre-season expectations for Premier League clubs' first five matches and assess how well they've done relative to the difficulty of their fixture schedules.
- Opta Analyst
Article
Mass Overhaul or Squad Continuity: What is the Recipe for Premier League Success?
In an age when fans wants limitless spending on shiny new signings, we ask whether less change can sometimes be more beneficial.
- Opta Analyst
Article
WSL Match Predictions
With the help of the Opta supercomputer, we provide our Women's Super League predictions for Matchday 5 of the 2026-27 season.
- Opta Analyst
Article
UEFA Women’s Champions League: Opta Supercomputer Matchday 2 Predictions
With the help of the Opta supercomputer, we provide our UEFA Women’s Champions League match predictions for every game across Matchday 2 in 2026-27.
- Opta Analyst
Article
England Women’s Squad: Four Key Talking Points Ahead of Greece World Cup Play-Off
Sarina Wiegman has named her England squad for the crucial World Cup play-off against Greece. We analyse the key selections using Opta data.
- Opta Analyst
Article
WSL Matchday 4: The Opta Stats That Defined the Weekend
Manchester City and Tottenham kept pace at the top, while Chelsea and Liverpool won crucial derbies. Opta data highlights the key trends from WSL MD4.
- Opta Analyst
Article
Czechia vs England Prediction: UEFA Nations League Preview
We look ahead to Tuesday's UEFA Nations League game at Fortuna Arena with our Czechia vs England prediction and preview.
- Opta Analyst
Article
Chelsea vs Arsenal Prediction: WSL Preview
We preview a heavyweight showdown at Stamford Bridge that could have major ramifications for the early WSL title race.
- Opta Analyst
Article
More Football, Less Timewasting: The New Premier League Rules on Throw-Ins and Goal-Kicks Are Working
New laws were brought in this summer to try and speed up restarts in Premier League games. Have they worked so far?
- Opta Analyst
Article
Liverpool vs Everton Prediction: WSL Preview
The first Merseyside derby of the WSL season is here as Liverpool seek a response after defeat to the champions.