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?
Opta Analyst
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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
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Who Has the Most Goals in NHL History?
Let’s take a look at the legends on the game’s most valuable leaderboard. Here are the all-time leading goal scorers in NHL history.
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South Dakota State Claims No. 1 Ranking as Montana State Tumbles in FCS Top 25 Poll
For the first time this season, there's a change atop the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 Poll. South Dakota State is the new No. 1 team.
- Opta Analyst
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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.
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Lionel Messi’s Argentina Farewell Match Brings Curtain Down on a Golden Era that Almost Wasn’t
Lionel Messi will represent Argentina for the last time in a farewell match on Tuesday, closing out a glorious international career that ultimately rewarded his patience.
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Idaho Vandals, Edge, Yanez, Harper, Bailey Earn FCS Football Awards (Week 5)
Opta Analyst’s FCS football coverage includes weekly national player and team honors during the regular season, leading into Stats Perform’s season-ending awards, now in their 40th year.
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England vs Czechia Prediction: UEFA Nations League Preview
We look ahead to Tuesday's UEFA Nations League clash with our England vs Czechia prediction and preview.
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One Stat to Sum Up 2026-27 So Far for Every Premier League Team
Is it possible to summarise the 2026-27 Premier League season so far through just one statistic for each team? We’ve given it a go.
- Opta Analyst
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FCS Playoff Bracket Predictions: The Field Has a Different Look After Montana State’s Loss
Who will travel the Road to Nashville? We update FCS playoff bracket predictions following six weeks of the 2026 college football season.
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Don’t Write These Three FCS Teams Off Just Yet, October Feels Different
Flipping the calendar to October has helped FCS football teams Abilene Christian, CCSU and Drake flip the switch with their season.
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How Would a Points Deduction Affect Manchester City’s 2026-27 Premier League Season?
After the Opta supercomputer ran 100,000 simulations of Man City’s 2026-27 Premier League season, we have calculated the exact impact of every possible points deduction.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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Six Takeaways From Idaho’s Upset of No. 1 Montana State
A review of how Idaho upset No. 1-ranked Montana State and what it means for the defending national champion and FCS football.
- Opta Analyst
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FCS Football Top 25 Scoreboard (Week 5)
Idaho upsets No. 1 Montana State in the Week 5 Top 25 scoreboard of FCS teams that are nationally ranked or receiving votes in the poll.
- Opta Analyst
Article
These Unsung Impact Players Are Instrumental to the NFL’s Five Undefeated Teams
You know the superstars like Allen, Mahomes and Purdy, but which other players have been key to the success of the NFL’s 3-0 teams?
- Opta Analyst
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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.