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Gradient Sports

@gradientsports.bsky.social
526 followers 38 following 171 posts

Transforming complex data into clear, competitive insights for modern football decision-makers.

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Gradient Sports @gradientsports.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Line-breaking passes have become an important metric for teams and analysts, but collection methods and definitions differ between providers. For transparency, we've walked through our own manual process. #FootballData 🎯👇 www.gradientsports.com/blog/how-do-...
gradientsports.com
How do Gradient Sports Collect Line-Breaking Passes?
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Gradient Sports @gradientsports.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
We ranked players by their 2024/25 Shooting Grade and measured each group's Goals per xG the following season. The highest-graded group beat their expected goals by 18%; the lowest-graded group fell 17% short. Read more here 👇 www.gradientsports.com/blog/the-pre...
gradientsports.com
Can Gradient's Shooting Grade Predict Next Season's Finishing?
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Gradient Sports @gradientsports.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
Curtis Jones to Inter Milan? Jones is a player who has always graded well within our system, with top 10 grades among CMs in Ball Carrying (81.9) and Passing (79.7) in the Premier League last season. His 6.49 line-breaking passes completed per 90 ranked 6th among CMs. #LFC
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Billy Carpenter @billycarpy.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
Interesting finding from this, as I got some great off-ball running data from @gradientsports.bsky.social: Every one of the top-25 players in Belgium for underlaps was either a full-back or wide-CB, except one: Tzolis.
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Sam Tighe @stighefootball.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
Checking out Akliouche properly. Good lord those passing grades @gradientsports.bsky.social!
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Sam Tighe @stighefootball.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
Elliot Anderson. A midfielder who pretty much does it all, can thrive in any style and any gamestate. In particular, he is an immense passer and an immense tackler. Most duels won and most touches in the league last season is a remarkable combo. (@gradientsports.bsky.social)
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Gradient Sports @gradientsports.bsky.social · 05/06/2026
The final list of rankings is here!🚨 We've ranked the 50 best players from the 2025/26 Premier League season. Built from a full season of grading every on and off-ball action, with input from our entire grading team. www.gradientsports.com/blog/gradien...
gradientsports.com
Gradient 50: Ranking the 50 best players from the 2025/26 Premier League Season
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Gradient Sports @gradientsports.bsky.social · 28/05/2026
We've ranked the 50 best players from the 2025/26 Premier League season. Built from a full season of grading every on and off-ball action across 25+ categories, with input from our entire grading team. Starting with #50–41 👇 www.gradientsports.com/blog/gradien...
gradientsports.com
Gradient 50: Ranking the 50 best players from the 2025/26 Premier League Season
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Billy Carpenter @billycarpy.bsky.social · 07/05/2026
I wrote this without looking anything up. But in case you'd like some analytics too, here's @gradientsports.bsky.social on Zubimendi: — #1 ranked midfielder at duels in the league — #1 ranked midfielder at aerial duels in the league — #5 ranked midfielder at 50/50 balls in the league
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Gradient Sports @gradientsports.bsky.social · 07/05/2026
Introducing Off-Ball Runs - Now Available via the Gradient Sports API across 55+ competitions 🌎 Every run is broken down into 15 spatial control points, capturing player position, ball position, zone, and speed throughout. Read the full methodology 👇 www.gradientsports.com/blog/measuri...
gradientsports.com
Measuring Off-Ball Movement Using Broadcast Tracking & Event Data
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Gradient Sports @gradientsports.bsky.social · 16/04/2026
A really interesting article by @rwohan.bsky.social Ryan uses Gradient Sports Passing Grade to showcase why manual execution based models are needed to complement traditional recruitment strategies📊👇 www.espn.com/soccer/story...
espn.com
How bad analytics built a Tottenham team that might get relegated
Tottenham are really bad and looking at the way this team has been constructed, one thing clearly stands out: This team is really bad at passing the ball, and that may explain their present malaise.
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Gradient Sports @gradientsports.bsky.social · 27/03/2026
We've updated our Player Grading Models. 📊 Grades are now calculated across all competitions and seasons, creating a single unified distribution that makes cross-league and cross-season comparisons more relevant than ever. Read more 👇 www.gradientsports.com/blog/underst...
gradientsports.com
Understanding Gradient Player Grades: A New Way to Evaluate Performance
Learn how Gradient Player Grades turn complex on-ball and off-ball actions into clearer, more reliable insights for teams, media, agencies, and fans seeking a deeper understanding of player performanc...
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Gradient Sports @gradientsports.bsky.social · 23/03/2026
Jérémy Doku is the standout 1v1 Attacker in the Premier League this season (per 90 basis) 🏃‍♂️💨 #MCFC
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Billy Carpenter @billycarpy.bsky.social · 23/03/2026
Top 5 midfield line-breaking passes per 90, Arsenal 1. Ødegaard (2.86) 2. Merino (2.17) 3. Zubimendi (1.99) 4. Rice (1.75) 5. Trossard (1.37) (data: @gradientsports.bsky.social)
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Billy Carpenter @billycarpy.bsky.social · 13/03/2026
As Arsenal's possession game sputters, the grind has become routine. He's my long-read on situational play, the long-ball dilemma, the Zubi-Rice pivot, the cost of defending, the advanced data from @gradientsports.bsky.social, and how to improve from here.
billycarpenter.substack.com
True Grit
As the possession game sputters, the grind has become routine. A look at situational play, the long-ball dilemma, the Zubi-Rice pivot, the cost of defending, the underlying data, and what can improve
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Gradient Sports @gradientsports.bsky.social · 04/03/2026
When you manually evaluate every shot in the Premier League, you can assess subjective matters with more confidence. Using Better Option %, we look at which players should shoot more, and who should shoot less this season. 👇 www.gradientsports.com/blog/better-...
gradientsports.com
Which Premier League Players Should Shoot More — and Who Should Shoot Less?
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Sam Tighe @stighefootball.bsky.social · 18/02/2026
Add PSG to the list of teams chasing Morgan Rogers... www.espn.com/soccer/story... (📊 @gradientsports.bsky.social)
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Gradient Sports @gradientsports.bsky.social · 30/01/2026
Accelerating past an opponent with the ball is one of football’s hardest skills — and until now, difficult to measure. Our frame-by-frame tracking includes possession indicators, allowing us to verify ball control throughout an acceleration effort. www.gradientsports.com/blog/introdu...
gradientsports.com
Introducing On-Ball Acceleration Metrics
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Gradient Sports @gradientsports.bsky.social · 23/01/2026
Traditional data will tell you that William Saliba's 41.3% Challenge win percentage ranks last among CBs in the Premier League this season What it doesn't tell you is that his ball control and defensive positioning are among Europe's elite ⬇️ www.gradientsports.com/blog/looking... #AFC
gradientsports.com
Looking Beyond Traditional Metrics: Understanding William Saliba’s Defensive Value
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Gradient Sports @gradientsports.bsky.social · 09/01/2026
The next elite talent? In the Bundesliga this season, only Michael Olise has completed more dribbles and received more passes opening their body than 19-year-old Yan Diomande. Direct 🏃‍♂️💨
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Gradient Sports @gradientsports.bsky.social · 19/12/2025
We examined which goalkeeper metrics are the most stable for evaluating performance. Using Spearman correlations, we found that avoiding negative actions is far more stable than save percentage or PSxG. 📊⬇️ www.gradientsports.com/blog/why-sta...
gradientsports.com
Why Stability Matters When Evaluating Goalkeeper Performance
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Gradient Sports @gradientsports.bsky.social · 04/12/2025
No player in Serie A this season has more positively graded passes (74, execution) or line-breaking passes completed (120, progression) than Luka Modric Still among the very best at 40 years old 👏
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Gradient Sports @gradientsports.bsky.social · 18/11/2025
How do you go about replacing players like Elliot Anderson, Marc Guehi and Carlos Baleba? Using Gradient Sports grades and metrics, we profile some realistic, data-aligned successors ⬇️ #NFFC #CPFC #BHAFC www.gradientsports.com/blog/finding...
gradientsports.com
Finding Transfer Replacements: Data-Driven Options for Premier League Clubs Facing Departures
A data-led look at potential replacements for Premier League standouts who may move in the January window.
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Gradient Sports @gradientsports.bsky.social · 09/11/2025
Elliot Anderson has emerged as one of the most important players for both club and country this season. We examine Anderson's Premier League data set, where he leads the Premier League in 10+ categories. #NFFC 🌳 www.gradientsports.com/blog/the-ris...
gradientsports.com
The Rise of Elliot Anderson - The data behind his remarkable 2025/26 season
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Billy Carpenter @billycarpy.bsky.social · 08/11/2025
Important shifts, as I went through @gradientsports.bsky.social data: — Arsenal now lead the league in “open play power shots” (26) — This is 12 more than the second-highest team — Arsenal have the highest percentage of “power shots” in the league (19%) — Eze leads this league (7).
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Gradient Sports @gradientsports.bsky.social · 17/09/2025
Gradient Sports is delighted to sign a partnership with Sport Republic and their portfolio of clubs to empower their decision-making with industry-leading broadcast tracking, physical metrics, and off-ball run data. 📊⬇️ | #SaintsFC #Göztepe | www.gradientsports.com/blog/sport-r...
gradientsports.com
Sport Republic Partners with Gradient to Elevate Data-Driven Football Decisions
Sport Republic partners with Gradient to unlock advanced football analytics. From recruitment insights to off-ball player movement, discover how data is shaping the future of the game.
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Gradient Sports @gradientsports.bsky.social · 13/08/2025
Marc Guehi performed above his positional average in every defensive category last season 📊📈 #CPFC #LFC
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Gradient Sports @gradientsports.bsky.social · 09/07/2025
Senior Data Scientist Mehmet Erden examines how our player grading system integrates with pass clustering models to identify the types of passes Premier League teams consistently execute well 🎯📊 Read here: www.gradientsports.com/blog/using-g...
gradientsports.com
Combining Gradient Sports Player Grades with Pass Clusters
By grouping passes based on their spatial characteristics and evaluating execution quality, we reveal not only how teams pass—but how well they do it.
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Gradient Sports @gradientsports.bsky.social · 01/07/2025
Open Letter from the CEO: PFF FC rebrands to Gradient Sports Read here ⬇️ www.gradientsports.com/blog/open-le...
gradientsports.com
Open Letter from the CEO: PFF FC rebrands to Gradient Sports
CEO Nate Gerstle discusses the process of the rebrand from PFF FC to Gradient Sports
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Gradient Sports @gradientsports.bsky.social · 30/06/2025
PFF FC is now Gradient Sports! 🚨 After securing investment to increase our event data coverage and unique player grading system, we are delighted to announce that we have spun off from PFF to form Gradient Sports. For more information, visit: gradientsports.com
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Joris Bekkers @unravelsports.bsky.social · 10/06/2025
The model was built using 64 games of World Cup 2022 tracking and event data (publicly available through @pff-fc.bsky.social), and using only open-source Python libraries (𝐤𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐲 and 𝐮𝐧𝐫𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐬).
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Joris Bekkers @unravelsports.bsky.social · 10/06/2025
🌀 𝐎𝐩𝐞𝐧-𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞 𝐅𝐨𝐨𝐭𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐀𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐲𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬 @ 𝐏𝐲𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐚 𝐋𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐧 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓 On Saturday I presented a Graph Neural Network Expected Possession Value model at @pydatalondon.bsky.social 2025. This 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐡𝐄𝐏𝐕 model is an ML approach that predicts scoring probability for any moment in the game 🔗 tinyurl.com/pydata-ldn25
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Gradient Sports @gradientsports.bsky.social · 03/06/2025
Carlos Baleba is just one of seven players in the Premier League this season to register eight 70+ grades Excelling in both transition (ball carrying, passing) and in defence (50/50 duels, aerial duels) A complete player 💪 #BHAFC
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Gradient Sports @gradientsports.bsky.social · 29/05/2025
Ranking the Top 50 Players from the 2024/25 Premier League season, starting with 50-41 📈 50: Emmanuel Agbadou 49: ??? 43: Mateo Kovacic Read here ⬇️ www.blog.fc.pff.com/blog/top50-p...
blog.fc.pff.com
The Top 50 Players from the 2024/25 Premier League Season — PFF FC BLOG
PFF FC rank the Top 50 Players in the 2024/25 Premier League season, using PFF FC Grades and Metrics.
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Gradient Sports @gradientsports.bsky.social · 23/05/2025
The leader in each line-breaking category in the Premier League this season 🎯 | #MCFC #AVFC |
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Gradient Sports @gradientsports.bsky.social · 22/05/2025
Join us for a webinar exploring our physical metrics platform – Epitome 📊 We’ll demonstrate how Epitome’s best-in-class player recognition, possession-based filters, and comprehensive distance, count, and intensity data can transform your workflows Sign up here: vimeo.com/event/512981...
vimeo.com
Enhancing Player Performance Analysis with Epitome Physical Metrics
Join PFF FC experts for an exclusive webinar exploring Epitome, our cutting-edge physical metrics platform. We’ll demonstrate how Epitome’s best-in-class…
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Gradient Sports @gradientsports.bsky.social · 15/05/2025
Dean Huijsen in the Premier League this season: • 84.7 Challenge Grade (7th/96 CBs) • 8.34 Passes Completed in the final third p90 (5th/96) • 0.72 positional mistakes p90 (4th best/96) A serious talent at 20 years old 📈 #afcb
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Gradient Sports @gradientsports.bsky.social · 01/05/2025
Line-breaking passes received in the Premier League this season: Morgan Rogers - 274 Ryan Gravenberch - 237 Bruno Guimarães - 237 Cole Palmer - 221 Bruno Fernandes - 220 #AVFC
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Gradient Sports @gradientsports.bsky.social · 30/04/2025
Want to work in Football? ⚽️ We are looking for part-time Data Collection Analysts to add to our team, ready for the 2025-26 Season. If you’re interested, apply below ⬇️ www.blog.fc.pff.com/blog/pff-fc-...
blog.fc.pff.com
PFF FC are hiring part-time Data Collection Analysts — PFF FC BLOG
PFF FC are hiring for part-time Data Collection Analysts to add to our team ready for the 2025-26 Season.
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Gradient Sports @gradientsports.bsky.social · 22/04/2025
We look at the data behind some of the biggest moves in the January Transfer window, including: 📈 Rashford and Asensio 🏃‍♂️ Marmoush and Khusanov's speed 💪 Emmanuel Agbadou transforming Wolves | #AVFC #MCFC #WWFC ⬇️ | www.blog.fc.pff.com/blog/transfe...
blog.fc.pff.com
January Transfer Window Recap: Which Clubs Came Out on Top? — PFF FC BLOG
PFF FC’s Delivery & Insights team revisit the January transfer window with PFF FC Grades and Metrics.
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Gradient Sports @gradientsports.bsky.social · 17/04/2025
Virgil van Dijk in the Premier League this season: 92.3 Aerial Duel Grade - 1st in PL 80.1 Challenge Grade - 3rd in PL 83.8 Passing Grade - 2nd among CBs Dominant 💪 #LFC #LiverpoolFC
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Gradient Sports @gradientsports.bsky.social · 11/04/2025
Mo Salah in the Premier League this season: 🔺 Leads PL in shots (106) & unsavable goals (19) 🔺 Most passes into a dangerous position (127) 🔺 30% of dribbles create a threat – best in the league Still elite at 32. Read the full breakdown👇 🔗 www.blog.fc.pff.com/blog/lfc-con...
blog.fc.pff.com
Liverpool’s Big Three - Are they still playing at an elite level? — PFF FC BLOG
We take a look at how Mohamed Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Virgil van Dijk have performed this season in the final year of their contracts.
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Gradient Sports @gradientsports.bsky.social · 10/04/2025
Ola Aina is the most 'two-footed' Nottingham Forest player in the Premier League this season 73% of his passes, crosses, shots, and clearances are with his right foot, and 27% with his left foot | #NFFC 🌳|
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Sam Tighe @stighefootball.bsky.social · 10/04/2025
Using some lovely @pff-fc.bsky.social data, I looked at the data from yellows, fouls and even verbal warnings from referees to construct this:
nytimes.com
Why you should stop betting on defenders to get booked
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Gradient Sports @gradientsports.bsky.social · 09/04/2025
From the Championship to Champions League 📈 • Receiving on the turn • Breaking Lines • Positional Versatility We take a look at how Morgan Rogers is thriving under Unai Emery at Aston Villa ⬇️ www.blog.fc.pff.com/blog/morgan-... #AVFC
blog.fc.pff.com
The Rise of Morgan Rogers - Unai Emery’s Main Man — PFF FC BLOG
We use PFF FC Grades and Metrics to look at the rapid rise of Morgan Rogers under Unai Emery
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Gradient Sports @gradientsports.bsky.social · 02/04/2025
We collect the body orientation of each pass received at the point the pass is played & at the point they receive the ball. We look at the best passers in the Premier League at allowing the receiver to open and close their body. 🎯⬇️ www.blog.fc.pff.com/blog/receivi...
blog.fc.pff.com
Receiving on the turn revisited, who are the best passers? — PFF FC BLOG
PFF FC’s Head of Data Analysis, Ashley Latter, explores the best passers in the Premier League at allowing the receiver to open and close their body.
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Gradient Sports @gradientsports.bsky.social · 01/04/2025
The most shots saved in the Premier League this season where the goalkeeper displays good movement, reflexes or reactions 🧤 #NFFC 🌳
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Gradient Sports @gradientsports.bsky.social · 31/03/2025
47.8% of Georginio Rutter's passes are played forward It's the highest percentage among any attacking player in the Premier League this season 📊 #BHAFC
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Gradient Sports @gradientsports.bsky.social · 27/03/2025
Dean Huijsen ranks only behind Gabriel, Ruben Dias and William Saliba in the fewest positional mistakes per 90 this season. A serious talent 📈 #afcb 🍒
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Gradient Sports @gradientsports.bsky.social · 26/03/2025
There is a lot of talk surrounding the future of Tyler Dibling (19) Here's how he's performed in the Premier League this season, compared to his positional average 📊 #SaintsFC
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