Duncan Alexander

London

Vice President, Data Editorial and Co-Founder at Stats Perform

Writer at The Analyst

luxury sports content | editor, writer, talker @TheAthleticFC | previously @OptaAnalyst

Articles

The nine Premier League teams most likely to qualify for Europe next season

1 week ago | nytimes.com | Duncan Alexander

It was another decent week for the Premier League sides still engaged in European competition. Arsenal may have lost 1-0 to Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday but two days later there were comfortable wins for Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur in their Europa League semi-final first legs, while Chelsea's seemingly serene procession to UEFA Conference League glory continued with a 4-1 first leg win against Djurgarden.
How many Premier League sides can qualify for European football next season?

3 weeks ago | nytimes.com | Duncan Alexander

If Premier League fans needed a reminder of just how magnificent European football can be, then this week delivered.
Mohamed Salah's Liverpool career (so far) in extremely niche and obscure stats

1 month ago | nytimes.com | Duncan Alexander

Football has come a long way from contract negotiations that took just minutes and were concluded with a firm handshake in a car park. When he was in the process of looking for a new club in 2009, Michael Owen produced a glossy brochure, which, among other things, addressed his injury record, his levels of desire and whether he really travelled 'to Newcastle from his stables in Cheshire every day by helicopter' (spoiler: apparently not).
Easy home draws, shocks, those 3pm kick offs and do the big clubs care?

2 months ago | nytimes.com | Tim Spiers |Duncan Alexander

The FA Cup. Not what it used to be, eh? It was better in my day, wasn't it? Jumpers for goal posts and cloth-capped pipe smokers twiddling their moustaches in approval at watching shock after shock on boggy brown pitches... oh yes, those were the days. The television build-up to the final began 136 hours before kick-off and every single person in the town came together to sing Abide with Me at 2.55pm. Halcyon times.
What's the best date for a footballer to be born on

Feb 10, 2025 | nytimes.com | Duncan Alexander

Last Wednesday was an important moment for the admittedly small group of people who send birthday cards to each of Cristiano Ronaldo, Carlos Tevez, Neymar and Jordan Rhodes. Those four men, with 230 international goals between them, turned 40, 41, 33 and 35 respectively on February 5, cementing the 36th day of the year's stellar reputation for producing elite footballers, led of course by Ronaldo, now operating as a professional into his fifth decade. It's not just them, either.
The four 'seasons' of the 2024-25 Premier League campaign so far

Dec 23, 2024 | nytimes.com | Duncan Alexander

As we ease into the dreamy relentlessness of football's festive period, it's easy to forget the staccato nature of the opening months of the season, short sprints of fixtures punctuated by the four words most Premier League fans hate hearing: "It's another international break." Supporters may despair as their favourite players disappear around the world three times in three months but these mandated interruptions do allow the season to be divided into four neat sections, something many...
What are the biggest leads to be overturned in a Premier League title race?

Nov 30, 2024 | nytimes.com | Duncan Alexander

If history has taught us anything, it's that seemingly no early-season margin is insurmountable. So, how much of a gap do Liverpool need before they become the Premier League 's uncatchables? Arne Slot's team came into this weekend with an eight-point lead, and will extend their advantage over reigning champions Manchester City to 11 if they beat Pep Guardiola's side at Anfield today.
Putting Manchester City's month-long losing streak into too much context

Nov 29, 2024 | nytimes.com | Duncan Alexander

That Manchester City are in crisis is not in doubt. When that crisis began is more debatable. Was it the moment Rodri's knee buckled against Arsenal 70 days ago? Or might it have been when Pep Guardiola reacted to a narrow 1-0 home win against last-placed Southampton on October 26 by saying, "I am going to learn a lot with Russell (Martin, the visitors' manager) because they did really well."That was just over a month ago. Southampton have won (twice!) since then, City... have not.
Is Wolves' Gary O'Neil about to pull off one of the most unlikely managerial recoveries?

Nov 24, 2024 | nytimes.com | Steve Madeley |Duncan Alexander

Gary O'Neil is some way off from being able to declare himself safe in a job, but in the space of two Premier League games, the Wolverhampton Wanderers head coach has put himself in a position to pull off one of the most unlikely managerial turnarounds in the competition's history. Life can certainly change quickly. When Wolves hosted Southampton before the most recent international break, O'Neil appeared to be on borrowed time.
Our writers' verdicts

Oct 7, 2024 | nytimes.com | Duncan Alexander |Carl Anka

The October international break, also known as the Premier League 's sacking season. Enough time has elapsed for owners to get twitchy, yet plenty of matches remain to make things right. The 2024-25 campaign may only be seven gameweeks old but loads has happened - that draw between Manchester City and Arsenal, Cole Palmer's four first-half-goals, Manchester United's worst start to a Premier League season and, it is easy to forget, Everton squandering a two-goal lead in consecutive matches.