Stay Updated with Stat, Viz, Quiz: Your Ultimate Source for Football Insights from The Opta Analyst! This week, we highlight Liverpool’s victorious title win, the exhilarating UEFA Champions League semi-finals, and appealing patterns in card-collecting throughout international football.

As the days grow longer, temperature levels increase, and the Easter celebrations pertain to an end, it indicates an interesting stage in the football calendar: the UEFA Champions League semi-finals are here! The anticipation constructs as we prepare for a few of the most electrifying matches in European football.

This week, we begin with an exciting very first leg where Arsenal will take on versus Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday, followed by Inter Milan’s check out to Barcelona for the other semi-final on Wednesday. These matches assure to provide high stakes and awesome action!

According to our reputable Opta supercomputer, Arsenal is somewhat preferred to emerge triumphant in the competition, although the competitors is tight amongst the last 4 groups. We will take part in an interesting video game of ‘good stat, bad stat’ to evaluate why each group might advance or deal with difficulties on their roadway to the last in Munich, which includes an additional layer of intrigue to these encounters.

On another note, let’s commemorate Liverpool’s current accomplishment as they clinched the sought after 2024-25 Premier League title with a definite 5-1 success over Tottenham Hotspur. This success not just seals their status as a powerhouse in English football however likewise connects them with their historical competitors, Manchester United, in overall top-flight title wins. We will look into the continuous competition and the mission for supremacy in English football.

Additionally, we have actually crafted an unique test devoted to the Reds’ impressive title accomplishment, while our Ask Opta section will resolve appealing concerns about red cards released in football around the world.

If you have not subscribed yet, don’t lose out! You can register for complimentary listed below to get your weekly dosage of SVQ every Tuesday.

Explore the Exciting ‘Good Stat, Bad Stat’ Analysis for Champions League Semi-Finals

As assured, let’s dive into our appealing section of ‘good stat, bad stat’ to set the state of mind for the Champions League semi-finals. We kick things off with the 2 clubs that have actually taken part in the European Cup/Champions League without tasting success: Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain. Whoever triumphes in this encounter will considerably enhance their possibilities to lastly raise the prize.

Arsenal: A Strong Contender with Unbeaten Streak

Good – The Gunners have actually become favorites according to the Opta supercomputer, boasting a 31.3% opportunity of winning everything. They head into their semi-final clash with PSG unbeaten in their last 8 Champions League matches, taping an excellent 7 wins and one draw. This marks their second-longest unbeaten run in a single competition edition, routing just behind a 12-match streak in the 2005-06 season, where they reached the last however failed versus Barcelona.

Bad – However, Arsenal’s total type in current competitors has actually been unsteady as they have actually handled to protect just 7 triumphes out of their last 15 matches throughout all competitors, with 6 draws and 2 losses. In contrast, PSG has actually thrived in 11 of their last 15 getaways (D1 L3). Additionally, Mikel Arteta’s team has actually drawn their last 2 home video games versus Brentford and Crystal Palace, significantly giving up leads in both encounters, which raises issues about their consistency.

Paris Saint-Germain: A Team of Talent Facing Tough Challenges

Good – Under the assistance of Luis Enrique, PSG boasts among the standout stars in world football, Ousmane Dembélé, who has actually been straight associated with 10 objectives in this season’s Champions League (7 objectives, 3 helps). He is on track to match the record for the a lot of objective participations by a PSG gamer in a single edition, presently held by Kylian Mbappé, who taped 11 (8 objectives, 3 helps) in the 2020-21 season.

Bad – Despite their strong team, PSG has a hard time in away components, having actually lost 5 of their last 6 Champions League matches versus English groups (W1), dealing with beats versus numerous challengers consisting of Manchester City, Arsenal, Newcastle, and Aston Villa. Additionally, they just recently suffered a frustrating 3-1 defeat in the house versus Nice, marking completion of their unbeaten run in the league.

Barcelona: Confident at Home however Missing Key Players

Good – With the very first leg versus Inter being dipped into their home ground, Barcelona gets in the match with self-confidence, intending to protect a lead heading into the away leg in Milan. The Blaugrana have actually been powerful in the house this season, staying unbeaten in their 6 Champions League matches (W5 D1) and scoring an exceptional 21 objectives. The just time they scored more in the house in a single European Cup/Champions League project was back in 1999-2000, when they netted 29 objectives.

Bad – However, the Catalan giants will need to cope without their star striker Robert Lewandowski due to injury. Lewandowski has actually remained in extraordinary type this season, netting 40 objectives in 48 looks, consisting of 11 in the Champions League, which leaves a considerable space in their assaulting lineup.

Inter: Dominating Game Control however Struggling Recently

Good – Simone Inzaghi’s Inter Milan has actually showcased outstanding video game control this season, having actually routed for simply 1% of their overall game-time in the Champions League, the most affordable of any group in the competitors (Arsenal follows at 6%). Their just minutes of lagging came versus German groups, consisting of a 90th-minute objective yielded in a 1-0 loss to Bayer Leverkusen throughout the league stage, and they just routed for 6 minutes in the 2nd leg of their quarter-final win over Bayern Munich.

Bad – Unfortunately for Inter, their current type has actually taken a slump, as they have actually lost their last 3 matches throughout all competitors. This consists of a defeat to their competitors AC Milan in the Coppa Italia semi-finals and back-to-back losses to Bologna and Roma, leading to them falling 3 points behind Napoli in the Serie A title race. This marks the very first time given that February 2012 that Inter has actually lost 3 successive video games without scoring.

Visual Insights: Liverpool vs. Manchester United Title Race

Who rules as the most effective group in English football? This concern frequently welcomes many analyses and disputes, leading one to believe, “how long is a piece of string?”

When assessing strictly by the variety of top-flight league titles, we discover ourselves at a turning point where Liverpool and Manchester United are presently connected for the very first time given that United protected their 19th title in the 2010-11 season.

With an exceptional 5-1 success over Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield, Liverpool has actually recovered their status with a record-equalling 20th title, commemorated in the middle of lively red screens of happiness and interest from their fans.

The journey to this historical 20th title has actually been interesting for both Liverpool and Manchester United.

Liverpool declared their very first English top-flight title in the 1900-01 season, currently holding 2 titles before United clinched their inaugural title in 1907-08. Liverpool led the race with 3 titles after their 5th success in the 1946-47 season. However, after United’s victory in 1966-67, both clubs discovered themselves locked at 7-7.

Then came the supremacy of Liverpool. Under the management of legends like Bill Shankly, Bob Paisley, Joe Fagan, and Kenny Dalglish, the Reds collected an unbelievable 11 successive titles in between 1972 and 1990.

In action, Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United got better considerably throughout the Premier League period, protecting 13 titles from 1992 to 2013 while their competitors dealt with a title dry spell, permitting the Red Devils to pull ahead 20-18.

However, Liverpool has actually made a strong go back to the top, winning the 2019-20 title to close the space to one, and now their most current victory sees both clubs level at 20 titles each.

As it stands, both clubs have a significant lead over the competitors, with Arsenal routing in 3rd location with 13 titles, followed by Manchester City with 10, and no other group reaching double figures.

The burning concern now is, who will be the very first to reach 21 titles? Defending champs Liverpool are favorites to recover their title in the upcoming season, while Manchester United, presently in 14th location, deals with a significant obstacle to restore their area amongst title competitors. It’s a suggestion of how unforeseeable and exhilarating football can be.

As humorously highlighted in David Mitchell’s cherished funny sketch, football never ever really ends, which leads us to contemplate, is the title race as substantial as it appears?

To which fans of Manchester United and Liverpool would absolutely react: “Yes, it is!!!”

Test Your Knowledge with Our Liverpool Title Quiz!

This week’s test concentrates on the 2024-25 Premier League champs. Are you fluent in Liverpool’s journey to their 20th title? Find the responses at the bottom of the page.

1. Arne Slot is the 5th supervisor to win the Premier League in their very first season in England. Can you call the other 4?

2. Liverpool clinched the league title with 4 video games staying. Besides the Reds in 2019-20 (who won with 7 video games left), which other 2 groups sealed the Premier League title with more than 4 matches staying?

3. Who are the only 2 supervisors to have won the Premier League at a more youthful age than Slot (46 years, 222 days)?

4. Dutch set Slot and Virgil van Dijk ended up being the very first supervisor and captain of the exact same citizenship to win the Premier League given that which duo?

5. Mohamed Salah’s objective versus Spurs brought him level with Wayne Rooney (183 for Man Utd) for the most objectives scored for a single club in the Premier League. Who are the only 2 gamers to have scored more Premier League objectives for one group?

Engage with Our ‘Ask Opta’ Segment

This week’s concern originates from Mats Schultze, who asked: “Brazilian players seem to receive a lot of red cards in the Premier League this season. Can you provide statistics on which nationality has received the most red cards and yellow cards?”

If you have a statistics-based football concern you’d like to Ask Opta, do not hesitate to send it to [email protected], and we’ll make every effort to include your question in a future edition of SVQ.

Answer:

So far this season, 3 Brazilian gamers have actually been sent in the Premier League: João Gomes (versus Arsenal), João Pedro (versus Brentford), and Evanilson (versus Manchester United). Additionally, Brazilian gamers have actually built up an overall of 88 yellow cards amongst the 35 who have actually played this season.

However, remarkably, English gamers blaze a trail with the most red cards, having actually gotten 18 in overall, together with 412 yellow cards.

Three Scottish gamers have actually likewise been revealed red cards this season (Tom Cairney vs. Spurs, Andrew Robertson vs. Fulham, and Ryan Fraser vs. Leicester City), suggesting that 21.4% of the 14 Scottish gamers in the Premier League have actually been sent.

Moreover, 3 of the 19 Danish gamers taking part in the 2024-25 project have actually likewise gotten red cards (Joachim Andersen vs. Aston Villa, Christian Nørgaard vs. Everton, and Patrick Dorgu vs. Ipswich Town).

No other citizenship has actually seen more than one red card this season. The Netherlands had their sole sending-off from Jan Paul van Hecke (vs. Crystal Palace), while their gamers have actually built up an overall of 71 yellow cards.

William Saliba stands as the only French gamer to have actually been dismissed this season (vs. Bournemouth), with French gamers jointly getting 64 yellow cards.

Interestingly, no Argentine gamers have actually been sent so far in the 2024-25 season, though they have actually acquired 50 yellow cards amongst them. Belgians have one red card (Leandro Trossard vs. Man City) and an overall of 27 yellow cards.

Only 13 German gamers have actually taken part in this season, resulting in an overall of 18 yellow cards amongst them, while the 10 Italian gamers in the league have actually gotten a combined 27 yellow warns.

Our Opta information centers use extensive group and gamer stats, forecasts, anticipated league tables, and far more. Click listed below to start your own deep dive into football information.

Discover What’s New at Opta Analyst

Explore a few of our most current data-driven offerings:

Answers to the Quiz

1. Arne Slot is the 5th supervisor to win the Premier League in their very first season in England. Can you call the other 4?

José Mourinho (2004-05 with Chelsea), Carlo Ancelotti (2009-10 with Chelsea), Manuel Pellegrini (2013-14 with Man City), and Antonio Conte (2016-17 with Chelsea)

2. Liverpool won the league with 4 video games to go. Aside from the Reds in 2019-20 (7 video games), call the other 2 groups that protected the Premier League title with more than 4 video games staying.

Manchester United (2000-01) and Manchester City (2017-18)

3. Who are the only 2 supervisors to have won the Premier League at a more youthful age than Slot (46 years, 222 days)?

José Mourinho (two times, at 42 years, 94 days in 2004-05 and 43 years, 93 days in 2005-06), and Kenny Dalglish (44 years, 71 days in 1994-95)

4. Dutch set Slot and Virgil van Dijk ended up being the very first supervisor and captain of the exact same citizenship to win the Premier League given that whom?

French head coach Arsène Wenger and captain Patrick Vieira for Arsenal in 2003-04

5. Mohamed Salah’s objective versus Spurs saw him equivalent Wayne Rooney (183 for Manchester United) for the most objectives scored for a single club in the Premier League. Who are the only 2 gamers to have scored more Premier League objectives for one group?

Harry Kane (213 for Spurs) and Sergio Agüero (184 for Manchester City)

Your Feedback Matters!

If you delight in Stat, Viz, Quiz or have recommendations for enhancement, please share your ideas with us at [email protected].