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Nov 21, 2024 | 
premierleague.com | Ryan Benson
Once stuck in a cycle of promotion and relegation, Fulham are now firmly established in the Premier League. It's a moment worth savouring for a club that's come a long way, writes Ryan Benson of Opta Analyst. There aren’t many happier places to be in the Premier League right now than Fulham. A feel-good factor is sweeping through the club this season, inspiring positivity, optimism and even ambition. Supporters are delighted.
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Nov 27, 2023 | 
theanalyst.com | Ryan Benson |Ruben Diaz |Jonathan Manuel
Few would have envied Manchester United being the first team to go to Goodison Park since Everton were hit with a 10-point deduction, but Kobbie Mainoo – making his full Premier League debut – produced a performance well beyond his years to steer Erik ten Hag’s men to a commendable victory. Manchester United and youth development are intrinsically linked.
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Nov 23, 2023 | 
theanalyst.com | Ryan Benson |Ruben Diaz |Jonathan Manuel
With domestic action about to resume following the international break, we provide an update to our La Liga season predictions with Girona the unlikely leaders after 13 rounds. Title Favourites: Real MadridTop Four: Real Madrid, Barcelona, Atlético Madrid, GironaRelegation Candidates: Celta Vigo, Granada, AlmeríaSuffice to say, when we asked the Opta supercomputer to predict how La Liga 2023-24 would play out in pre-season, it didn’t chuck out Girona as potential title winners.
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Nov 22, 2023 | 
theanalyst.com | Ryan Benson |Matt Sisneros
It’s a record that hasn’t changed hands since December 1993; these are the Premier League’s all-time leading goalscorers…Incredibly, Alan Shearer will have been the Premier League’s all-time leading scorer for 30 years in December. Obviously his 260 goals were stretched over a much greater period than just August 1992-December 1993, but it was then that he got himself out in front and no one has overtaken him since.
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Nov 16, 2023 | 
theanalyst.com | Ryan Benson |Ruben Diaz |Robbie Dunne |Jonathan Manuel
Every superhero needs a sidekick; we delved into the numbers to bring you the most fruitful player partnerships in the Premier League this season. It’s all well and good having one superstar player who’s head and shoulders above the rest of the team in terms of ability, but what truly maximises that talent is being on the same wavelength as others.
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Nov 15, 2023 | 
theanalyst.com | Ryan Benson |Matt Sisneros |Robbie Dunne |Jonathan Manuel
Have you ever wondered about the data behind dribbling? Of course you have, and now you’re in luck because we’ve delved into the stats from the past 10 seasons to provide you with the definitive guide to dribblers. Dribbling; perhaps the purest form of football artistry and one of the chief identifiers of technical prowess, it’s been the trump card of many of the sport’s all-time greats.
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Nov 13, 2023 | 
theanalyst.com | Ryan Benson |Jonathan Manuel
From lauding a couple of Chelsea wingers to suggesting Tottenham’s title tilt is over, we’re back with our latest snap judgements to the Premier League’s weekend action. What a day Sunday turned out to be for a couple of former Manchester City wingers, in Raheem Sterling and Cole Palmer. The latter had been the subject of much of the pre-match build-up following his move to Chelsea, and he went on to score the final goal in a pulsating 4-4 draw.
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Nov 10, 2023 | 
theanalyst.com | Ryan Benson |Matt Sisneros |Peter McKeever
With Manchester United going through a rough patch, we look at one of the reasons for their struggles: an over-reliance on Bruno Fernandes. We’ll probably never know if Bruno Fernandes’ dramatic late winner away to Fulham last weekend spared Erik ten Hag from getting sacked, but the Portuguese midfielder being the one to save the day fittingly summed up his Manchester United career to date. He almost repeated the feat in the Champions League on Wednesday.
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Nov 9, 2023 | 
theanalyst.com | Ryan Benson |Matt Sisneros |Jonathan Manuel
Anthony Gordon’s start to life at Newcastle was anything but smooth. This season, however, he’s arguably been their best player; so what’s changed? Head down, Anthony Gordon trudged towards the touchline and aggressively slapped the hand of Matt Ritchie as he was replaced, his disappointment obvious. Having already come off the bench during the match, he was suffering the ignominy of being taken off again.
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Nov 7, 2023 | 
theanalyst.com | Ryan Benson
After successive defeats, Mikel Arteta hopes his team can bounce back in the Champions League. Look ahead with our Arsenal vs Sevilla prediction and preview. The odds are very much in Arsenal’s favour here, with Mikel Arteta’s side winning 66.2% of simulations ahead of the match. Sevilla haven’t won any of their last eight away Champions League matches since a 2-1 win at Old Trafford in 2018. Arsenal could secure their passage to the knockouts on Wednesday, but only if they win and Lens beat PSV.
