Github

Here is a link to the repository that contains all the code I have used to help in writing the blog posts:

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Overrated Stats: Clean Sheets

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At the end of each season, it is customary to award the goalkeeper with the most clean sheets the Golden Glove or some version of that award. This is usually used to distinguish this keeper as the best in the competition. However, there is a problem with using cleans sheets to measure a goalkeeper’s competence and this lies in the fact that the stat fails to take into account all the other factors that go into achieving a clean sheet in any given game. The defenders always have a huge part to play in preventing goals due to all the clearances, tackles and blocks they make so it is entirely possible for a keeper to go a whole game without having to save a single shot. So, how exactly are we meant to measure how good a goalkeeper is if not with clean sheets? The answer to this question could lie in the use of a statistic called Post-Shot Expected Goals (PSxG). xG provides a rating for each shot based on the historical precedent of the probability of shots from any given location ending u...
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Brentford FC: A team destined for the Premier League

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On August 4th, 2020, Brentford were beaten 2-1 in extra time by two late goals from Joe Bryan in a game that comprised of very few clear chances. This would bring a tragic end to what was otherwise an unprecedented season that would see them rise all the way to third in a tightly contested EFL Championship. For Brentford to finish in the top three would probably have surprised many, but not those who have closely followed their astonishing rise from being an average team in League One to coming within touching distance of participating in the most lucrative league in world football. Brentford FC, a lesser-known club in London, have struggled in the lower tiers of English Football for much of their history. However, they have risen to prominence in recent years due to their unorthodox use of data analysis and mathematical models chiefly based on the Expected Goals model to identify bargains in the transfer market and eventually sell them for a profit. This modus operandi started in 2014...
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Solving A Pressing Issue

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In our ever-evolving game, it is no surprise that footballing stratagems go in and out of fashion. It wasn't that long ago that Pep Guardiola's Barcelona team employed a style of possession football that was easy to admire but incredibly difficult to emulate. Tiki-Taka, with its endless passing combinations, seemed like the ultimate style of play and it served to be the gold standard for a few years until gegenpressing came along with Jürgen Klopp as its pioneer. This tactical trend prioritizes pressing heavily right after losing the ball and it has been proven to be effective. As with anything that is successful, gegenpressing has been emulated and altered over the years to the point that many of the top teams are employing similar styles. In the current version of football where defensive styles are evolving, high pressing football is all the rage and the lines between different phases of play are being blurred, a stat to measure a team's pressing ability has become incre...
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