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[Albion] Have we been lucky? (xG stat geekery)







Triggaaar

Well-known member
Oct 24, 2005
52,974
Goldstone
The example of penalties might just provide part of the answer to how we're faring this season. Over the last two (and a bit, not that that bit matters, as your last point indicates) seasons, I'd estimate that our penalty ratio is higher than that average. Not by much, perhaps by about 10% -- I'm not basing this on firm data, but I reckon we've scored 14 or 15 penalties, with Hemed missing 2 in that time (Wolves, plus that late one away last season when we were 2-0 down).
Now, if you generalise that 10% above the average, that might help explain how we seem to be outperforming expectations.
No, because the stats that Bozza posted are just based on this season, and we haven't scored a penalty this season. Actually over the last couple of seasons we've performed close to Experimental361's E Ratings, which is based on the expected goals method.
 


Triggaaar

Well-known member
Oct 24, 2005
52,974
Goldstone
Nope you didn't ignore them? Or nope you didn't see them? Because all those lovely charts I posted last year were based on the expected goals method.
 


whitelion

New member
Dec 16, 2003
12,828
Southwick
Stats are my thing but the grid is difficult to read being predominantly black and doesn't work on mobile phone very well.
 


Bozza

You can change this
Helpful Moderator
Jul 4, 2003
57,210
Back in Sussex
Nope you didn't ignore them? Or nope you didn't see them? Because all those lovely charts I posted last year were based on the expected goals method.

Nope, I didn't ignore them. As I said, I'm taking more interest this season, probably because of xG popping up at the end of MotD highlights for each game.
 




Stat Brother

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 11, 2003
73,888
West west west Sussex
This is one of my frustrations at the mo - we seem incredibly shot-shy. I'm assuming people like Stephens are following orders - he seems to get in loads of good shooting positions, but doesn't shoot!

That is hardly new though is it?

2, 2, 7 then 2 goals again last season means he's not in the team for his goals.

That said if he was, he wouldn't be in this team at all, as he would have been sold on a couple of years ago, for considering more than the 50p increments Burnley were offering.
 


Spicy

We're going up.
Dec 18, 2003
6,038
London
I think I'm either being given a lesson in stats or being told to shut my big trap :shrug::cool:
Penalties would be a bonus :thumbsup:

I'm unsure I am going to open my trap as find it all confusing and I have more questions than answers. Definitely could do with a few more penalties - at least 3 per game.:thumbsup:
 






brightn'ove

cringe
Apr 12, 2011
9,169
London
I think all its good for is judging how well a team is actually playing, beyond just looking at their results. As said, it doesn't take into account the quality of the players. At the moment palace could get a chance that has an expected goal score (?) of 99.9% and would still miss. On the other hand, hemed's header against West Brom probably had a very low xG score, but he still finished it.
 


Audax

Boing boing boing...
Aug 3, 2015
3,259
Uckfield
I think it’s quite a load of shit, far too many variables at play to determine what an expected value is. How much weight is given to the selected factors etc

With enough data, and a data scientist who knows what they're doing working with that data, it is entirely possible to model the variables and for that model to (generally) produce reasonably accurate predictions.

So the question then becomes: do we have enough relevant data? And is the data scientist who's using that data know what they're doing?

As far as relevant data: for the most part, there's plenty enough historic data to be able to get reasonably close to a pretty accurate model. Where the modelling for *this season* should be taken with a pinch of salt, however, is that we're not far enough into the season to have enough data on any 'new' variables that this season introduces. An earlier post touched on those: the variables that need to be considered include the player(s) involved in trying to score the goal, as well as those involved in trying to prevent it. Even more, it depends on what sort of form those players are in.

For our stats, I'd suggest the modelling is yet to have received enough data to be able to accurately model how good our attack is at finishing, or how good our defence is at blocking. I think the time to start really keeping an eye on these stats is from half season onwards (once we've played all teams once).



Edit: for this season so far, there's the massive underperformance of Crystal Palace in attack to consider as well. Looking at the Prem table as a whole, the modelling has predicted 9.85 goals more than have actually been scored. Crystal Palace accounts for 7.14 of that difference on their own. Similarly, looking at those teams who have already played against Palace you can see that they all (with the exception of Liverpool, who leaked against Watford, City, Arsenal early season) have outperformed the Goals Against metric by a good margin.
 
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hans kraay fan club

The voice of reason.
Helpful Moderator
Mar 16, 2005
62,725
Chandlers Ford
So maybe xG is just a load of shit. Thoughts?


I'm pretty sure this is the case, tbh.

I've been watching them come up on MotD and trying to rationalize them, but there are so many games where a team has won 3-1 and it says their 'expected goals' are 0.3 or something, that it just seems to be statistical nonsense.
 




Audax

Boing boing boing...
Aug 3, 2015
3,259
Uckfield
I'm pretty sure this is the case, tbh.

I've been watching them come up on MotD and trying to rationalize them, but there are so many games where a team has won 3-1 and it says their 'expected goals' are 0.3 or something, that it just seems to be statistical nonsense.

Would be worth seeing the goals in games like that. You do occasionally get those freak games where one side scores goals that never should have gone in, largely due to defensive howlers or massive deflections from what we're otherwise low percentage shots.

E.g. Stockers having goals go in off his back after deflections from the woodwork.
 


Bozza

You can change this
Helpful Moderator
Jul 4, 2003
57,210
Back in Sussex
I'm pretty sure this is the case, tbh.

I've been watching them come up on MotD and trying to rationalize them, but there are so many games where a team has won 3-1 and it says their 'expected goals' are 0.3 or something, that it just seems to be statistical nonsense.

The xG for our game with West Brom was:

WBA: 1.03
BHA: 0.44

That 0.44 seems very low to me and must mean that our chances were deemed not very good chances at all...

Gross #1: low because of the number of defenders between him and the goal?
Gross #2: low because of the distance from goal and covering defenders?
Hemed #3: low because covering defender, position of the header?

I'm struggling to think that the mean for those three chances (not to mention any others we had) is only 0.44 of a goal.
 






Bozza

You can change this
Helpful Moderator
Jul 4, 2003
57,210
Back in Sussex
Hmmmm - this is a different total for the WBA game, although still has WBA as having created the better chances.

[tweet]906552464631091200[/tweet]
 


Bozza

You can change this
Helpful Moderator
Jul 4, 2003
57,210
Back in Sussex
We created enough to score a goal against Watford (if only!)

[tweet]901477838553055232[/tweet]
 


Bozza

You can change this
Helpful Moderator
Jul 4, 2003
57,210
Back in Sussex
Over-performing apparently.

Palace? Not so much...

Lots of analysis >>> https://whisp.rs/2A2KopC

1656E5DC-A65C-446B-80BC-A2C90DE44CDC.png
 


Dolph Ins

Well-known member
May 26, 2014
1,526
Mid Sussex
Probably about where I hoped we would be at the beginning of the season. I enjoy looking at the stats but they often can't be matched to the result. It just seems footie can't be broken down into a mathematical formula. Maybe that's what makes it so interesting.
 




Taybha

Whalewhine
Oct 8, 2008
27,643
Uwantsumorwat
I love all stats and they really are easy to digest concerning football , if you take the time to look at the below mathematical solution to saturday's game v Man Utd the result is clearly visible .

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