The Athletic FC Tactics Podcast A stat for every Premier League club
16 snips
Jan 15, 2026 
Join football experts Michael Cox, Liam Tharme, and Mark Carey as they dive into intriguing statistics from the Premier League. Discover how Manchester City leads in unchanged starting XIs and Tottenham's defensive identity shines through Paulinho. Learn about Chelsea's youth movement, Brighton's struggles to hold leads, and Everton's inefficacy in turning turnovers into shots. Plus, hear about Brentford's fast-break prowess and Wolves' crossing tactics. It's a data-driven exploration of the league's quirks and trends!
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Direct Play Feels Bigger Than Stats
- The Premier League shows a shift toward more direct play but league-wide long-ball share barely changed year-on-year.
- Qualitative use by certain teams makes the change feel bigger than the aggregated numbers suggest.
City's Unlikely Stability
- Manchester City have led the league in unchanged starting XIs despite Guardiola's tinkering reputation.
- They named six unchanged starting XIs and briefly matched more unchanged XIs than in the previous seven years combined.
Tottenham's Defensive Identity
- Tottenham top the league for tackles won and tackle success rate, heavily driven by Casemiro's successor, Giovani Lo Celso (Gio Paulinho).
- That defensive emphasis helps solidity but limits ball progression into the final third.