Players steal yards at free kicks, taking them from better positions than where the foul was committed, including from dangerous shooting positions. Whilst referees are lenient, there is no evidence that they allow home teams to steal more yards than away teams. Continue reading Quantifying the dark arts: How do players steal yards at free kicks?
Hot hand effects can be causally estimated using shots which go close to the post or crossbar. I find no evidence of large hot hand effects in the Premier League, though the analysis should be replicated using larger datasets which cover more leagues and seasons. Continue reading Does the Hot Hand exist in football?
Footballers don’t take more speculative shots after scoring and they are no more likely to take their team’s next shot. Unlike in basketball, footballers don’t play as though they believe in the hot hand. Continue reading Do footballers believe in the hot hand?
Premier League referees are 30 percent less likely to yellow card a home team player for a foul than an away team player in matches where one of the big six is at home. This is true even after controlling for many factors that tell us whether the foul objectively deserved a yellow card. Continue reading Are referees biased towards home teams?
I compare each player’s creativity in matches against the top 6 vs the bottom 14 teams, using Opta’s expected assists (xA) model. James Maddison and Mo Salah stand out as “big game” players. Continue reading Who are the Premier League’s “big game” players?
Playing in the Europa League in midweek has no effect on the chance that a team wins in its domestic league the following weekend, unlike the Champions League. Continue reading Does playing in the Europa League harm domestic league performance?
Playing in the Champions League in midweek significantly decreases a team’s probability of winning in their domestic league the following weekend by two percentage points. The effect is concentrated on Sundays. Continue reading Does playing in the Champions League harm domestic league performance?
Players from South America, Spain and Italy won more fouls per minute in the 2011/12 Premier League season than players from other regions, suggesting that they may go to ground more easily. Continue reading Do foreign footballers really dive more?
Football Statistics 