Which FPL players and teams top the xG table?

With the November international break halting the action, it feels like an ideal time to explore expected goals (xG) data from the last six games.

We will assess each team from both an offensive and defensive perspective.

We’ll also examine the leading players in terms of expected goal involvement (xGI), to get a more accurate understanding of who is actively contributing in the final third.

TEAM

OPTA EXPECTED GOALS (xG)

Chelsea topped the xG table for the last six matches, mainly due to their offensive performances against Tottenham Hotspur and Wolverhampton Wanderers. Enzo Maresca’s men generated almost 7.0 xG in the encounter, including 12 Opta-designated ‘big chances’. The team should receive an immediate boost with the return of Cole Palmer (£10.3m) from a groin injury too.

Armorymeanwhile, has the second-best attack and best defense in our evaluation period, having won the xG battle in all six games.

Crystal Palace impressively ranked fourth for xG, even though they were bottom of our Fixtures in Matchweeks 6-11:

At another place, Nottingham Forest have performed worse on their xG than any other team in the last six games, scoring just five goals from 9.18 xG. But it suggests there’s more to come from Sean Dyche’s side, perhaps in Matchweek 13-17, when Tricky Trees recorded the third-best record according to our ticker (BHA/wol/eve/TOT/ful).

Leeds United sits eighth in the table above; however, they benefit from the easiest schedule. In the next six Match Weeks, they ranked second bottom for match difficulty (AVL/mci/CHE/LIV/bre/CRY).

Aston Villa And Tottenham Hotspur‘s position was arguably the most surprising, with their xG much worse than expected.

Unai Emery’s men were ruthless in front of goal scoring over six goals more than expected considering the chances they had.

Tottenham’s attacking data is also not entirely persuasive, with basic statistics in the last six games showing that they have racked up results (two wins, two draws and two defeats) without creating many chances.

OPTA EXPECTED GOAL PROGRESS (xGC)