Week 1 of the Premier League 2024/25 season has kicked off with some intriguing performances, and the data here provides us with a glimpse into which teams and players have hit the ground running. This week Friday Stats Corner is focused on xG and xA for both individual players as well as teams.

xG – Expected Goals

Liverpool tops the expected goals (xG) chart with 2.6, showing they are off to a fiery start, followed closely by Manchester United at 2.4. West Ham, Aston Villa, and Southampton round out the top five, suggesting these teams are already creating significant scoring opportunities. On the individual front, Bruno Fernandes leads the expected goals (xG) rankings with 1.2, demonstrating his continued importance to Manchester United’s attack. Kaoru Mitoma and Yoane Wissa are also among the top performers, each registering an xG of 1.0, hinting at their potential to be key players this season.

xA – Expected Assists

In terms of expected assists (xA), Manchester United again features prominently, with Casemiro leading the pack with 1.2 xA, showcasing his ability to orchestrate play from deep. Yakuba Minteh and Youri Tielemans are hot on his heels, while Trent Alexander-Arnold and Marcus Rashford also make their presence felt, highlighting the diversity of playmakers in the league. As a whole, Manchester United and Liverpool are showing early signs of being dominant forces, both leading the team expected assists (xA) rankings, with Aston Villa, Southampton, and Brighton also making a strong start in this metric.

As the season progresses, it will be fascinating to see if these early trends hold or if other teams and players rise to the challenge. But one thing is clear—Week 1 has set the stage for what promises to be an exciting Premier League season.