Mark Carey

London

Data Analyst and Football Writer at The Athletic

Senior Data Analyst for @TheAthleticFC | PhD in Psychology | Co-host of the Football Fanalytics Podcast @fanalyticspod ⬇️

Articles

How Liverpool signed Milos Kerkez, why they wanted him and what it means for Andy Robertson

2 days ago | nytimes.com | Gregg Evans |Greg O'Keeffe |Mark Carey

For a young man who likes to stay out of the spotlight each summer, Milos Kerkez could be forgiven for changing tack this year. Usually, he will pitch up in a remote location and switch off his phone during the off-season. He likes to be out in the wild, fishing, as it helps him unwind — yet this summer, a £40million ($54m) move to Liverpool has taken centre stage.
Real Madrid 3 Pachuca 1 - Alonso’s side show attacking class after early Asencio red card

5 days ago | nytimes.com | Dermot Corrigan |Mark Carey |Mario Cortegana

Real Madrid bounced back from an early Raúl Asencio red card to beat Pachuca 3-1 in Charlotte and give Xabi Alonso his first win as head coach. After looking shaky early on, Asencio was sent off for bringing down Salomon Rondon just outside the penalty box, with the former Newcastle United forward through on goal. It was an awful start with just seven minutes gone.
The 81 top transfer targets in the summer window for every position

1 week ago | nytimes.com | Steve Madeley |Mark Carey |Anantaajith Raghuraman

Imagine it is early April. You are sitting in a recruitment meeting for a Premier League or top European club. A whiteboard is covered with names. Plans for the summer transfer window are afoot. Who are the best options in each position? What is their contract situation? What would each player bring to your club? And why might they be available? Imagine no longer.
'The perfect centre-back would be a mix of Maguire and Van Dijk'

3 weeks ago | nytimes.com | Mark Carey |Thom Harris

As The Athletic plays back Rodrigo Muniz's left-footed finish against Chelsea, the 24-year-old turns away for a moment and reaches for his phone. Is he replying to a message? Scrolling social media? Surely he's not bored by his 96th-minute winner against Fulham's west London rivals? "I think this angle is much better," he says, revealing a video taken by his wife among the away fans in the Shed End of Stamford Bridge. Limbs. Everywhere. Muniz, 90+5'.
Jack Grealish is at a career crossroads. Which club could reignite his best?

3 weeks ago | nytimes.com | Mark Carey

Jack Grealish is at a crossroads. Just two years after being one of the main characters in an unforgettable treble-winning season for Manchester City, the 29-year-old started just seven Premier League games in 2024-25. While niggling injury setbacks have not been kind to him this season, it is clear that Grealish has fallen out of Pep Guardiola's plans. The writing was on the wall when he was an unused substitute when City required a goal in their FA Cup final defeat to Crystal Palace.
The ultimate Champions League final guide

4 weeks ago | nytimes.com | Mark Carey |Liam Tharme

With 188 Champions League games played, just one remains. Tonight's final between Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Milan provides an intriguing tactical battle between two styles of play. The omens look good for PSG as they look to lift the trophy for the first time - the previous four finals in Munich all provided a first-time winner and the only other time a French and Italian side met in the final (Marseille vs Milan, 1993 in Munich), the team from France came out on top.
How he plays, how he'll fit in and what he'll bring to Maresca's side

4 weeks ago | nytimes.com | Mark Carey

The chase for Liam Delap's signature appears to be over. The Athletic reported on Thursday that Chelsea have reached an agreement over his transfer. A relegation release clause of £30million means that Delap is available at a very affordable price. In a season of struggle at Ipswich Town, the 22-year-old was one of the few players in a blue shirt who stood out in Europe's strongest league.
How 'Slot-ball' propelled Liverpool to the Premier League title at the first time of asking

1 month ago | nytimes.com | Andy Jones |Mark Carey

Ripping up the work done by Jurgen Klopp was never part of Arne Slot's plan when he arrived at Liverpool. One of the key factors in the club deciding to appoint the Dutchman as their head coach to follow in Klopp's footsteps was the similarities in style. "We are going to try to work on what Jurgen left behind and we will see a lot of similar things," Slot told the club website in his first interview.
The Athletic's 2024-25 Alternative Premier League Awards

1 month ago | nytimes.com | Mark Carey

It's that time of year again. Liverpool have finally lifted the Premier League trophy after securing the title last month, but the main prize is not the only thing being handed out. Mohamed Salah hoovered up the individual awards, with 29 goals securing the Golden Boot and 18 assists grabbing the Playmaker award for the second time in a Liverpool shirt. Golden glove? That goalkeeping accolade was shared between Nottingham Forest's Matz Sels and David Raya of Arsenal, with 13 clean sheets apiece.
How would he fit in at Liverpool and how does he play?

1 month ago | nytimes.com | Anantaajith Raghuraman |Mark Carey

Maximising space on a football pitch can be complex, but Florian Wirtz makes it look simple. The Bayer Leverkusen attacker's ability to fill gaps intelligently and turn that positioning into productivity helps explain why he is one of Europe's most coveted players this summer. Bayern Munich now believe the playmaker will not be joining them and is on track for a move to Liverpool if he leaves Bayer Leverkusen, as reported by The Athletic. The clamour over Wirtz is obvious.