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  • Writer's pictureTom Harrison

Comparing Team Style with Performance 100 Data

By looking at actions per 100 possessions, rather than per 90 minutes, Performance 100 data quantifies decision making, and therefore playing style. Performance 100 data is most commonly used to analyse the styles of individual players, but it can also assess the styles of various teams.


This article will illustrate the power of Performance 100 data when trying to learn about team styles, using the examples of Manchester City and Burnley, two teams known for having highly contrasting, and successful, styles in the 2017-18 English Premier League (EPL) season.


First, if you are yet to come across our main graphic for analysis, here's an explanation of how to read it.

Before delving into the graphics for Manchester City and Burnley, let's take a look at the average Performance 100 data across the EPL in 2017-18.




The average EPL player last season possessed the ball on 49 occasions per 90 minutes, and compared the average of over 7,000 players in 20+ global leagues, completed a pass at a greater rate.


Failed passes per 100 possessions was more or less the same as the global average, with clearances the only action apart from completed passes that is above average.


Due to the large number of completed passes, other actions like shots, dribbles and crosses were below the global average per 100 possessions.




Instantly the differences between the EPL average and the Manchester City Performance 100 graphics stand out. Pep Guardiola's side dominated possession throughout 2017-18 and two stats on this graphic illustrate this.


Completed passes per 100 possessions, for the average Manchester City possessions, are well into the top 20% when compared to over 7,000 global players, and way above the average EPL player. Ball possessions per 90 minutes are also huge, more than 1.5 times the EPL average.


Other factors of the Manchester City graphic that stand out, and indicate team quality as well as style, are the; below 10 missed passes per 100 possessions, excellent dribble efficiency (completions v fails), low clearance figure, and low number of times fouled.



As expected, Burnley's figures show a side that, compared to Manchester City, played significantly more direct football, and spent more time defending.


Interestingly, the difference between Burnley's graphic and the EPL average is less extreme than the gap from Manchester City's to the league standard.


Burnley completed far fewer passes per 100 possessions than Manchester City, and failed a pass more than twice as often. A huge gap is seen when comparing clearances, whilst Burnley also completed and failed crosses at greater regularity.


Ball possessions per 90 minutes are also illuminating. The average Manchester City player had the ball on 36 more occasions per match than the average Burnley player.


Curiously, key passes per 100 possessions (and, as a result, shot attempts) were almost identical for Manchester City and Burnley in 2017-18. This suggests that the two contrasting styles were equally effective at creating shots on goal. However, crucially, Manchester City were significantly more effective at creating big chances, and goals, as the difference between goals plus big chances created per 100 possessions shows.


The example explained in this article illustrates how Performance 100 data can display differences in team styles, by quantifying decision making. The styles of Manchester City and Burnley were well-documented last season, but the power of Performance 100 data can be translated to teams in over 20 global divisions, helping you to learn more about how certain teams approach the game, even if you're yet to see them play.


If you'd like to learn more about Performance 100, or request a graphic or report, contact us at performance100stats@gmail.com, or on twitter @Performance_100.

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