Tactics Explained
2026/27 · 6 clubs · every competition · updated 28 Sep

Tactics Explained

Every goal, animated. Every prediction, graded. Match analysis for Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United, Real Madrid, FC Barcelona and FC Bayern München, with the tactics drawn out move by move and explained in plain English.

Latest goal, move by move

Manchester City 5–3 Sunderland

City lead three times before half-time, concede a Brobbey hat-trick and still win: five from five, but not much control.

Open the full analysis →
Fernández9'
City 1–0 · direct free kick
  1. Méthalie fouls Ndiaye near the right-hand corner of the box and is booked.
  2. Fernández stands over it from a tight angle. Everyone expects a cross.
  3. He goes for goal instead and beats Roefs at his near post: his first City goal.
Pick a club

Clubs

Looking forward

Next matches, predicted

DateMatchCompetitionKick-offModel: club win / draw / loss
Sat 10 Oct 2026Arsenal v Leeds United (home)Premier League · Matchday 612:30 BST · 20:30 KST70% / 19% / 11%Preview →
Sat 10 Oct 2026Manchester United v Tottenham Hotspur (home)Premier League · Matchday 617:30 BST · 01:30 KST (Sun)69% / 18% / 14%Preview →
Sat 10 Oct 2026Real Madrid v Villarreal CF (home)LaLiga · Matchday 821:00 CEST · 04:00 KST (Sun)63% / 18% / 19%Preview →
Sat 10 Oct 2026FC Barcelona v Getafe CF (home)LaLiga · Matchday 818:30 CEST · 01:30 KST (Sun)87% / 9% / 4%Preview →
Sat 10 Oct 2026FC Bayern München v FC Augsburg (away)Bundesliga · Matchday 515:30 CEST · 14:30 UK · 22:30 KST82% / 11% / 7%Preview →
Sun 11 Oct 2026Manchester City v Liverpool (away)Premier League · Matchday 616:30 BST · 00:30 KST (Mon)39% / 23% / 38%Preview →

Chances are for the club in bold. Each one is frozen before kick-off and graded after the match. The public record starts with these matches.

Looking back

Latest analyses

PLManchester City · 20 SepManchester City 5–3 Sunderland

City lead three times before half-time, concede a Brobbey hat-trick and still win: five from five, but not much control.

8 goals animated · tactic breakdown · column →
PLManchester United · 20 SepFulham 1–1 Manchester United

29 shots, a narrow loss on xG, and a deflection to rescue a point.

2 goals animated · tactic breakdown · column →
LaLigaReal Madrid · 20 SepAtlético de Madrid 2–1 Real Madrid

Huijsen's red card decided the derby, but Madrid had created almost nothing before it.

3 goals animated · tactic breakdown · column →
PLArsenal · 19 SepBrighton & Hove Albion 3–0 Arsenal

Brighton's man-to-man press ends Arsenal's seven-game winning start.

3 goals animated · tactic breakdown · column →
LaLigaFC Barcelona · 19 SepSevilla FC 1–3 FC Barcelona

Sevilla score first and make it awkward for 45 minutes. Then Raphinha scores a perfect hat-trick and Barça make it 21 points from 21.

4 goals animated · tactic breakdown · column →
BLFC Bayern München · 18 SepFC Bayern München 7–0 1. FC Union Berlin

Olise scores a hat-trick, Kane reaches 100 Bundesliga goals faster than anyone, and Union manage three shots all night.

7 goals animated · tactic breakdown · column →
EFLManchester City · 17 SepManchester City 5–0 Norwich City

Ten changes, two goals on debut for 17-year-old Floyd Samba, and a Norwich City side that never had a shot on target.

5 goals animated · tactic breakdown · column →
EFLManchester United · 16 SepManchester United 2–3 Brighton & Hove Albion

Two goals up after nine minutes, behind by the 69th: Manchester United lose at home from 2–0 up for the first time in 50 years.

5 goals animated · tactic breakdown · column →
LaLigaFC Barcelona · 16 SepFC Barcelona 7–2 Racing de Santander

Thirty shots, 6.74 xG and a Raphinha hat-trick, but FC Barcelona still hand Racing de Santander both their goals.

9 goals animated · tactic breakdown · column →
EFLArsenal · 15 SepIpswich Town 2–4 Arsenal

A 16-year-old scores twice as a rotated Arsenal side press its way into round four.

6 goals animated · tactic breakdown · column →
LaLigaReal Madrid · 15 SepElche CF 2–3 Real Madrid

Real Madrid lead Elche CF 2–0, let it slip to 2–2, and need Espí in stoppage time again.

5 goals animated · tactic breakdown · column →
PLManchester City · 13 SepManchester United 0–1 Manchester City

Down to ten after 23 minutes, Manchester City held Manchester United to 1.0 xG and won with a goal the referees' body later admitted should have been reviewed.

1 goal animated · tactic breakdown · column →
What makes this different

How it works

Every goal, animatedEach goal is rebuilt as a short looping animation from match reports: who passed, who ran, where the space was. No video clips, just the movement.
Every prediction, gradedBefore each match a simple model (xG and goals, Poisson) gives a win / draw / loss chance. It is frozen before kick-off and marked right or wrong afterwards, in public.
An opinion, with its riskEach analysis ends with a column that takes a side, and names the biggest risk to that view. Facts are cross-checked in at least two sources and credited.

About the site and the method →