David Segar

How long is a Premier League game, and how much time in the ball in play in reality?

🔄 What % of time is the ball in play?
⌚ Which teams take the longest to restart play?
🕐 Who sees the lowest % of time with the ball in play?

Read our analysis: theanalyst.com/articles/pre...

Why Liverpool Are Struggling to Get the Best Out of Mohamed Salah | Opta Analyst Liverpool have struggled to get the best out of Mohamed Salah this season. We look at what some of the causes of his slump might be.

Mohamed Salah has six goal involvements in 10 games for Liverpool this season, which would be fine for most, but for a player of his ability, that's considered underperforming.

@davidsegar.bsky.social has looked at the Egyptian's data to see what the issues could be.

theanalyst.com/articles/moh...

Why Liverpool Are Struggling to Get the Best Out of Mohamed Salah | Opta Analyst Liverpool have struggled to get the best out of Mohamed Salah this season. We look at what some of the causes of his slump might be.

Mohamed Salah is a phenomenon, but his numbers have been down this season for Liverpool.

It's still early days in 2025-26, but there is plenty of data to look at to try and get to the bottom of Salah's dip in form, so I've given it all a good peruse.

#LFC

theanalyst.com/articles/moh...

Was a pleasure to be on Premier League Friday on Sky Sports News outlining how big a part set pieces are playing this season. A shame my lighting made me look like the whitest man alive, but was still fun.

Liverpool’s Away Form Must Improve if They Want to Challenge on All Fronts | Opta Analyst After back-to-back away defeats, Liverpool's excellent start to the season suddenly feels a long time ago. Bad results on the road aren't a new thing either.

Liverpool's recent away form has been shaky, losing five of their last eight on the road, but going further back there has been a noticeable dip in their away performances for a while now.

@davidsegar.bsky.social takes a closer look. ⬇️

theanalyst.com/articles/liv...

#LFC

More Long Balls, Fewer High Turnovers, and Set-Piece Reliance: Are Premier League Teams Going More Direct? | Opta Analyst After five matchdays of the 2025-26 Premier League season, we look into claims that teams have become more direct in their play.

Some aspects of this Premier League season have almost felt 'throwback', with teams seemingly going a bit more direct.

I've looked at so many numbers my eyes have crossed, but found some interesting tidbits from the early weeks of the campaign. 👇

theanalyst.com/articles/pre...

Is Ryan Gravenberch Evolving Again? | Opta Analyst Ryan Gravenberch shone in Liverpool's win over Everton. We analyse the Dutchman's excellent start to the 2025-26 season.

Ryan Gravenberch has scored twice in four Premier League games this season, having only found the net once in his previous 63 games in the competition.

@davidsegar.bsky.social takes a look at the seemingly constantly evolving Dutchman and his impressive form.

#LFC

theanalyst.com/articles/rya...

Why Ousmane Dembélé Is Favourite to Win the 2025 Ballon d’Or | Opta Analyst PSG's Ousmane Dembélé is the favourite to win the prestigious men’s Ballon d’Or. We look at his data to see why that might be.

Ousmane Dembélé is the favourite to win the men's Ballon d'Or award on Monday, having recorded 46 goal involvements on his way to winning a treble with PSG.

@davidsegar.bsky.social takes a closer look at Dembélé's credentials. 👇

#BallondOr

theanalyst.com/articles/ous...

Looking at a 38-game rolling points total for Nottingham Forest in the Premier League since the start of 2022-23, it's clear the extent to which Nuno Espírito Santo improved them during his time at the club.

Click below for more data on Nuno's time at Forest.

theanalyst.com/articles/nun...

#NFFC

Alexander Isak to Liverpool: Why Swedish Striker Is Worth British Record £125m Transfer Fee | Opta Analyst With Alexander Isak close to becoming the most expensive player in British football history, we look at what has made Liverpool willing to part with £125m.

With Alexander Isak edging closer to joining Liverpool in what would be a British record transfer, I decided to see if he's any good.

Presumably Liverpool have already done that, but yes, he is. 👍

#LFC

theanalyst.com/articles/ale...

Oh my God yes, I have been doing this for the last two years! 😂

Could 2025-26 Be the Strongest the Premier League Has Ever Been? | Opta Analyst Ahead of the 2025-26 Premier League season, we ask how strong the English top flight is and outline why it might be one of the most competitive in years.

Some argued that the Premier League was weak last season, which was a bit weird if you actually watched it properly and saw how good even teams in the bottom half played. I've done some data digging to see if perhaps the opposite might even be true.

theanalyst.com/articles/pre...

Liverpool 2025-26 Preview: Five Key Questions Ahead of the New Season | Opta Analyst Liverpool will be hoping to successfully defend their Premier League crown in 2025-26. We ask five key questions for Arne Slot's side.

🤔 Can Liverpool go again?
😬 Do they need more defenders?
⚽ Will they cope with Mo Salah’s AFCON absence?

We pose these questions and more ahead of Liverpool's Premier League opener against Bournemouth on Friday.

#LFC

theanalyst.com/articles/liv...

João Palhinha Adds Much-Needed Steel to Spurs’ Midfield, But Is His Passing Too Limited? | Opta Analyst With João Palhinha close to signing for Tottenham on loan, we look to see why Thomas Frank wants him back in the Premier League.

João Palhinha to Tottenham took many by surprise, but dig into the numbers and you can see why he'd suit a Thomas Frank team, at least defensively.

What about going to other way, though? @davidsegar.bsky.social looks at Palhinha's data to see what to expect.

#THFC

theanalyst.com/articles/joa...

Luis Díaz, He’s From Barrancas, and He Plays for Bayern Munich | Opta Analyst With Luis Díaz completing his move to Bayern Munich, we look back on his time at Liverpool and see what the Bundesliga champions are getting.

After three and a half years, 41 goals and 16 assists in 148 games for Liverpool, Luis Díaz has left to join Bayern Munich.

@davidsegar.bsky.social looks at the Colombian's time in England, and what he could offer the Bundesliga giants.

#LFC #FCB

theanalyst.com/articles/lui...

Calm on the Ball, Versatile and a Leader at 17: Why Chelsea Are Signing Jorrel Hato | Opta Analyst Jorrel Hato could become Chelsea's eighth signing of the summer. We look at why the Ajax star has caught the eye of the Premier League side.

𝐉𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐥 𝐇𝐚𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐨 𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐬𝐞𝐚

Jorrel Hato is 19 but has already played 111 games for Ajax, and even captained the Eredivisie giants in a Europa League fixture at just 17.

We look at whether the Dutch defender is an addition that would make sense for Chelsea. ⬇️

#CFC

theanalyst.com/articles/jor...

YouTube video by talkSPORT “The BEST striker in the World?!” Isak wants Liverpool move & Sesko vs Watkins breakdown

Went on @talksport.com's 'The Window' earlier to discuss Alexander Isak, Benjamin Sesko and Ollie Watkins.

Don't watch it, though; I'm too self conscious.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhMj...

The Dutch Cole Palmer? Looking at Chelsea Target Xavi Simons | Opta Analyst With Xavi Simons linked to Chelsea, we analyse the Dutch international’s output to see what he could bring to the Premier League.

Chelsea are reportedly targeting RB Leipzig's Xavi Simons.

He often plays as a number 10, so would Simons be able to play in the same team as Cole Palmer?
@davidsegar.bsky.social thinks so, and has looked closely at the Dutchman's data. 👇

#CFC

theanalyst.com/articles/xav...

Premier League Survival Guide: How Can the Promoted Teams Stay Up? | Opta Analyst We look at Premier League relegation data to see what it will take for promoted trio Leeds United, Burnley and Sunderland to avoid the drop in 2025-26.

𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐞𝐫 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐠𝐮𝐞 𝐒𝐮𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐥 𝐆𝐮𝐢𝐝𝐞

It has been difficult for newly promoted clubs to stay in the Premier League in recent years, but what is needed to avoid the drop?

@davidsegar.bsky.social has looked through all the league's historical data to find out.

theanalyst.com/articles/pre...

PSG Are the Best Team in the World: Parisians Top Opta Power Rankings After Thrashing Real Madrid | Opta Analyst Following a 4-0 victory over Real Madrid at the Club World Cup, Paris Saint-Germain knocked Liverpool off the top of the Opta Power Rankings.

List of PSG's recent achievements:

- Won the Champions League/a treble
- Reached the FIFA Club World Cup final
- Topped the Opta Power Rankings (tu ne chanteras jamais ça!)

@davidsegar.bsky.social looks at the new best team in the world, according to our rankings. 📈

theanalyst.com/articles/psg...

Viktor Gyökeres to Arsenal: Using the Opta Power Rankings to Contextualise His Incredible Primeira Liga Goal Tally | Opta Analyst We look at Arsenal target Viktor Gyökeres' record in Portugal and dust off the Opta Power Rankings to provide context to his achievements.

Viktor Gyökeres has scored a lot of goals in the Primeira Liga, but there are questions as to whether he could succeed in the Premier League.

@davidsegar.bsky.social has used the Opta Power Rankings to try and contextualise Gyökeres' impressive 2024-25 season.

#AFC

theanalyst.com/articles/vik...

Adam Lallana Retires: The Creative Ball Winner Loved by Jürgen Klopp | Opta Analyst As Adam Lallana brings his playing career to an end, we take a look at some highlights from his time with Southampton, Liverpool and Brighton.

Adam Lallana has retired from playing after a career that saw him win the Premier League, Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup.

@davidsegar.bsky.social looks back at a player beloved by his managers, especially Jürgen Klopp.

theanalyst.com/articles/ada...

Who is Kota Takai? The Tottenham Target Comparable with Dean Huijsen | Opta Analyst Who is Tottenham target Kota Takai? We take a look at the data behind the young Japan international centre-back.

𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐢𝐬 𝐊𝐨𝐭𝐚 𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐚𝐢?

Tottenham are reportedly close to signing Japan international defender Kota Takai from Kawasaki Frontale.

@davidsegar.bsky.social takes a look at the 20-year-old centre-back and what he might bring to Thomas Frank's squad.

#THFC

theanalyst.com/articles/kot...

Trent Alexander-Arnold’s Real Madrid Debut: How Did Former Liverpool Man Do vs Al-Hilal? | Opta Analyst All eyes were on Trent Alexander-Arnold at Hard Rock Stadium as he made his Real Madrid debut against Al-Hilal at the Club World Cup. How did he do?

Trent Alexander-Arnold's Real Madrid debut caused quite a stir on social media.

Opinion was divided (what else is new?) so @davidsegar.bsky.social has looked at Trent's data from the 1-1 draw with Al-Hilal at the FIFA Club World Cup to see how he really got on.

theanalyst.com/articles/tre...

Milos Kerkez Can Be Liverpool's Ideal Successor to Andy Robertson | Opta Analyst With Liverpool moving for Bournemouth's Milos Kerkez, we look into why the Hungary international might be a perfect fit at Anfield.

Andy Robertson’s output may be slowing down… but Liverpool seemingly already have a plan.

Enter: Milos Kerkez.

✍️ @davidsegar.bsky.social analyses why he could be their left-back for the future: theanalyst.com/articles/mil...

Why Liverpool Target Florian Wirtz Would Be Worth Record Fee | Opta Analyst With Liverpool reportedly looking to sign Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen, we dive into the talented German’s best data.

I didn't mention anything about his towering headers, like the one he's just scored in the Nations League, but I've written some bits about Florian Wirtz, who may become the most expensive signing in British football history if he joins Liverpool.

#LFC

theanalyst.com/articles/flo...

Fewer Long Passes, More Progressive Carries: What Liverpool Will Be Getting With Jeremie Frimpong | Opta Analyst With reports linking Bayer Leverkusen's Jeremie Frimpong with a move to Liverpool, we looked at the data to see if he would be a good fit.

𝐉𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐞 𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐋𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐩𝐨𝐨𝐥 🔴

Jeremie Frimpong's move from Bayer Leverkusen to Liverpool has been confirmed, as the Premier League champions move on from Trent Alexander-Arnold.

@davidsegar.bsky.social analyses Frimpong's qualities and suitability.

#LFC

theanalyst.com/articles/jer...

Fewer Long Passes, More Progressive Carries: What Liverpool Would Be Getting With Jeremie Frimpong | Opta Analyst With reports linking Bayer Leverkusen's Jeremie Frimpong with a move to Liverpool, we looked at the data to see if he would be a good fit.

𝐉𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐞 𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐋𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐩𝐨𝐨𝐥?

With Trent Alexander-Arnold departing Anfield, Liverpool may need another right-back.

Reports suggest that could be Bayer Leverkusen's Jeremie Frimpong, so @davidsegar.bsky.social has looked into the pacy Dutchman's data.

#LFC

theanalyst.com/2025/05/jere...

Denzel Dumfries Stars in Barcelona-Inter Champions League Classic | Opta Analyst Denzel Dumfries was a man on fire as he starred in Inter's 3-3 draw with Barcelona in their UEFA Champions League semi-final first leg.

𝐌𝐚𝐧 𝐎𝐧 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐞 🔥

Denzel Dumfries starred in Inter's 3-3 draw with Barcelona, involved in all three of the Nerazzurri's goals.

@davidsegar.bsky.social looks at the Dutch wing-back's impact in Wednesday's Champions League instant classic.

theanalyst.com/2025/05/denz...

Liverpool Win the Premier League: Arne Slot’s Reds Deserve All the Plaudits After Imperious Campaign | Opta Analyst Liverpool are the 2024-25 Premier League champions. We take a detailed look at how they did it, and why they deserve it.

𝐋𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐩𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐞𝐫 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐠𝐮𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 🏆 🔴

Some have tried to argue that they were merely the best of a bad bunch.

We've got the data that shows why that is complete nonsense.

✍️ @davidsegar.bsky.social theanalyst.com/2025/04/live...