Off The Pitch’s Post

In anticipation for the upcoming Premier League clash between Manchester City and Arsenal, we have had a look at some of the history behind these two clubs in the English First Division 📊 Up until the 2010s, Arsenal dominated - both in terms of league position and titles. Since then, City’s success has been unparalleled 🏆🏆🏆 Despite not being traditional rivals, this fixture has become one of the most interesting in the Premier League calendar. In the last two seasons, Arsenal have been City’s closest challengers for the title. From a head-to-head perspective, City's manager Pep Guardiola has undoubtedly dominated the fixture against his former apprentice, Mikel Arteta - now the manager of Arsenal. It must be said that Arsenal’s progress since Arteta joined has been remarkable, as the past two seasons has shown Arsenal and City to be head and shoulders above everyone else in the league. Will this season serve up the same rivalry? 🤔 #ReallyAwesomeDataPeople #DataConsulting #ExpectMore #StepAhead 

🏆 Manchester City clinched their 4th consecutive Premier League title this weekend! As a passionate follower of the game, I found myself in a spirited debate on social media about why City achieved this remarkable feat, especially when Arsenal had the best defense, an excellent manager, and was leading the league with just six weeks to go. A few weeks ago, I critiqued Arsenal's manager on social media. His team visited Manchester City, and instead of playing their usual free-flowing, creative, and attacking style, they sat back and played defensively. It seemed to me that they were playing not to lose rather than to win. The match ended 0-0. While the pundits praised the draw as an excellent result, I saw it differently. In my opinion, by changing their entire approach for this one match, the manager unintentionally signaled to his players that they weren't good enough to beat City—and possibly, by extension, to win the league. Two weeks later, they dropped a home match to Aston Villa. City, on the other hand, won the rest of their matches and secured the league by a slim margin of two points—essentially the two points Arsenal dropped at City. I received a lot of feedback, with many saying I didn't know soccer. While that may be true, I do know something about leadership. A core responsibility of a leader is to instill belief in the team, the mission, and the organization. Doubt is natural; it's the leader's job to make the impossible seem possible and to instill unwavering confidence. I believe Arsenal was just as talented as City this year. The difference? City believed in their success and saw what was possible, while Arsenal, perhaps, harbored doubt. I think, like all good leaders the Arsenal manager-Arteta will learn from this experience, and his team will again challenge for the title next year-and perhaps this time win it all. Here's to all the leaders out there who inspire confidence and belief in their teams. Let's make the impossible seem possible! #Leadership #PremierLeague #ManchesterCity #TeamBelief #WinningMindset

Manchester City vs. Arsenal – Premier League 22.09.2024 Analysis ⚽️🔍 Persistent Focus on the Central Corridor: Manchester City continuously attempted to break down Arsenal's compact defensive setup by sticking to the central corridor. Despite Arsenal closing the gaps and City having alternative options, they remained committed to attacking through the middle. This tactical choice highlighted their strict adherence to their offensive patterns, even when the defense was difficult to penetrate. 🧠🎯 Full-Backs Involvement in Attack: Both Kyle Walker and Joško Gvardiol were actively involved in the attacking phases, pushing forward to overload Arsenal’s defense. By committing both full-backs high up the pitch, City increased their numerical advantage and created additional support for their midfield and forwards. This further illustrated Pep Guardiola’s attacking philosophy of involving all players in offensive actions. 🚀💪 Efficient Pressing and Ball Recovery: Even though Manchester City lost possession due to Arsenal’s intense 3v3 pressure, their ability to win the ball back within 7 seconds was remarkable. This showed the effectiveness of City's high-pressing system and their commitment to quickly recovering possession. Their rapid response prevented Arsenal from exploiting any counter-attacking opportunities. 🔄⏱️ #ManchesterCity #Arsenal #PremierLeague #PepGuardiola #TacticalAnalysis #FootballTactics #HighPressing #BallRecovery #CentralCorridor #FullBacksInAttack #TeamStrategy #FootballIntelligence #AttackingPhilosophy #PositionalPlay #GameAnalysis

First time it was nice, he had to do it twice. Leandro Trossard is a name that every Arsenal fan should know by now. The Belgian winger scored a sensational goal against Liverpool on Saturday, helping Arsenal secure a 3-1 victory and close the gap with the league leaders. But this was not the first time Trossard scored a wonder goal against the Reds. He did the same thing in January 2022, when he was playing for Brighton. It was his first Premier League goal of the season and it helped Brighton secure a 1-0 win at Anfield. What does this tell us about Trossard as a player and a person? It tells us that he is a consistent performer, who can deliver under pressure and against tough opponents. It tells us that he is a creative thinker, a confident leader, who can inspire his teammates and fans with his actions. And it tells us that he is a learner, who can adapt and improve his skills and abilities. These are all qualities that are essential in the modern corporate/fintech world. In a fast-paced and competitive environment, you need to be able to perform consistently, think creatively, lead confidently, and learn continuously. You need to be able to score goals, metaphorically speaking, that make a difference and create value. Trossard is a role model for anyone who wants to succeed in the modern corporate/startup world. So, next time you watch Arsenal play, don't just admire his skills and goals. Learn from his mindset and attitude. And apply them to your own professional and personal life. You might be surprised by the results. 🔥 "If you can't buy it twice, You can't afford it" - Jay Z. #COYG #Gunners #Coaching #TeamWork

The most suitable successors for Liverpool's Jürgen Klopp, as shown by data. 📊 Iconic Liverpool Football Club manager Klopp has announced he will leave this summer, after nine years and seven trophies at Anfield. 👏🏆 His Head Coach Rating of 94.5/100 is the second best in the world, only behind the 97 of Manchester City Football Club's Pep Guardiola. But who should replace him? 🤔 We dig into the data to find out the best-suited Head Coaches. ✅ The top 10 is measured by TransferRoom's Suitability Rating, which factors in: - The average TR Team Rating of squads they've managed - How similar their playing style and favoured formation is to what the squad's used to - Their experience in the same league, country or continent 🔎 Here's how clubs worldwide can find the right Head Coach, make data-driven choices and avoid expensive mistakes with TransferRoom's CoachFinder: https://lnkd.in/eG9CSTe9. #LiverpoolFC #LFC #PremierLeague #Football #DataViz

🚨 Jonas' Exit from Arsenal: What's Next for the Club? Big changes are underway at Arsenal with Jonas Eidevall leaving the club. In my latest Substack article, I dive into Jonas' departure, the team's recent form, and what this means for Arsenal's future 💬 It's a pivotal moment for the club - time to regroup, push forward, and make the most of the season ahead. We can't dwell on the past; improvement and progress must be the focus. Francesco Trasforini delves into the key data from Arsenal's recent clash with Chelsea, offering insights into what it reveals about their performance 📊 I also take a closer look at interim manager Renée Slegers and what we can expect from her leadership in this transitional period, including insights from yesterday’s press conference🎙️ Will her fresh perspective be the key to a turnaround? 🤔 Head over to the article to read more: 🔗

🔵 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗲𝗿 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗴𝘂𝗲 𝗧𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗥𝗮𝗰𝗲: 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗖𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘃𝘀. 𝗔𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗮𝗹 🔴 This weekend's biggest fixture, Manchester City Football Club vs. Arsenal F.C, ended in a goalless draw (0-0). The title race in terms of standings and points goes as follows: 1️⃣ Liverpool - 67 pts 2️⃣ Arsenal - 65 pts 3️⃣ Manchester City - 64 pts 🔎 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝘂𝗽 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆? The image below compares the financial performance of Man City and Arsenal during the 2022/23 season: - Man City reported £712.8M in total revenue, against the £466.7M generated by Arsenal - Despite generating £246.1M less than Man City in total revenue, Arsenal generated more in matchday revenue (£102.6M vs £71.9M) - Arsenal spent £188.1M less than Man City in staff costs - Both clubs ended the financial year with an operating loss - Manchester City reported a net profit of £80.4M, largely caused by £121.7M profits from player trading 🔎 For a more detailed analysis, I invite you to explore the breakdown in the attached image. 𝘐𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶'𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘤, 𝘧𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘮𝘺 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘢𝘴 𝘐'𝘭𝘭 𝘶𝘯𝘳𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘭 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘴𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘧𝘰𝘰𝘵𝘣𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘴, 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘱𝘵𝘩𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘺'𝘴 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘴. #PremierLeague #UEFA #ChampionsLeague #FootballFinance #ManCity #Arsenal #SportsBusiness

Chelsea is the only Premier League club to have spent over 1 billion euros since Todd Boehly took charge 💸. Despite this significant investment and two full seasons having passed, Chelsea still hasn't managed to secure a top spot finish 🏆. Samu Omorodion’s rumored transfer to Chelsea for 35 million pounds could push their already high spending even higher. Will this additional investment finally lead to results in the 2024/2025 season? 🤔 Here are some additional insights on the top Premier League spenders since the 2022/2023 season 📊: - Manchester United is the closest spender to Chelsea, having invested 535.82 million euros—still about 700 million euros less than Chelsea's total 💰. - Out of the big six clubs, five are among the top six spenders 💼, with the exception of Liverpool, which ranks 10th in spending with only 309.80 million euros. This amount is lower than several non-big six teams, including Aston Villa, Nottingham Forest, Newcastle, and West Ham 📉. Overall, this data highlights that big spending does not always guarantee big results 🚫📈. #Chelsea #PremierLeague #FootballAnalytics #DataViz #DataVisualization

5 Premier League Statistical insights: 1. Aston Villa scoring as many goals at home as both Liverpool and Arsenal. 2. Manchester United has the best match attendance but still fail to please fans (I'm a gutted united fan ☹). 3. Whereas, our rivals, Manchester City who have scored the least goals at home from the top 5 teams but will more than certainly win the league. 4. After analysing away goals. I believe the title will be decided on away goals (for and against). I might be one of many United fans rooting for Arsenal to win the league, but Manchester City’s away goal stats might be the reason they clinch the title at Upton Park. 5. Finally, massive credit for teams like Newcastle and Aston Villa who both have lower match attendances than other teams, but still finished respectively high in the table (Higher than United). #footballanalysis #statisticalanalysis #dataanalyst

📉 The Delicate Balance of Football Club Ownership: Insights from Chelsea FC’s Ownership Dynamic. In recent research, I uncovered interesting insights into the dynamics between Chelsea FC’s majority owners, Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali. Since their takeover, tensions have reportedly risen due to differences in key decisions—particularly around spending, strategy, and managerial changes. Chelsea has spent over €1.3 billion on new signings since 2022, with Boehly driving a bold, hands-on approach to recruitment (Sky Sports)(Soccer Transfer ETV). Meanwhile, Eghbali has focused on financial prudence, ensuring compliance with UEFA Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules (Sky Sports). These growing differences likely influenced the decision to part ways with Mauricio Pochettino. With Chelsea finishing 12th and 6th in the last two Premier League seasons and struggling to return to the top four, it’s clear that balancing short-term ambitions and long-term stability is essential. As professionals in the sports business, we see how critical aligned objectives are to success, both on and off the pitch. #SportsBusiness #FootballManagement #Leadership #ChelseaFC #FootballOwnership #TeamBuilding #FinancialStrategy #ClubManagement Image: Pixabay