
Analysis
Expected Goals (xG) for Football Fans: A Simple Guide
You know the type of game. Your team lost 0–3, yet you walked home thinking, “We were better.” They hit the post, the keeper made two wild saves…
Manchester sport, ground by ground
Section
Football match statistics are produced by people making choices, and this section shows where those choices sit. Expected goals, possession, heat maps, added time and the referee’s own report each get a piece on how the figure is built and what it will not tell you. The aim is to make a published number readable rather than impressive.
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Analysis
You know the type of game. Your team lost 0–3, yet you walked home thinking, “We were better.” They hit the post, the keeper made two wild saves…

Analysis
Thursday, coffee, tee times You sit with a coffee. The course is by the sea. The app shows tee times. Wind may jump after lunch. You ask yourself: take the top name to win…

Analysis
Game 7. One shot left. The ball hangs in the air. It is quiet enough to hear shoes on the floor. The same player hit this shot in January with a smile. Now his hands are tight. The rim…

Analysis
Tuesday night in Denver, the total opened at 10.5. By noon, it was 11.0. My number did not move. The air was warm, but wind was light. Both starters had poor ERA on the screen…

Analysis
The sitter everyone remembers, the edge nobody priced We all know that big miss. A tap-in at 0.45 xG, dragged wide. Fans melt down. TV shows it ten times. But the odds barely move. Why?…
| Allowance | As the Law words it |
|---|---|
| Substitutions | time lost through substitutions |
| Injuries | assessment and removal of injured players |
| Time wasting | wasting time |
| Discipline | disciplinary sanctions |
| VAR | delays for VAR checks and reviews |
| Celebrations | goal celebrations |
Source: Law 7, IFAB Laws of the Game 2026/27, as cited in our piece on added time
Statistical definitions differ between providers. Figures quoted here are attributed to the provider that published them.