Sample: last 8 league matches — v West Ham 2-2, @ WBA 1-3, @ Norwich 1-4, v Middlesbrough 1-1, v Bristol City 1-2, @ Wrexham 1-1, @ Swansea 1-3, v Derby 1-1
Build-up4-3
Progression2-7-1 / 3-6
Final third2-5-2
Rest defence3+2 / 3+1
In possession
attack → · shapes are phase snapshots, not formations
IP · 01
Build-up
4-3
LOWINFERRED2-man first line in 3/8 · per match: 2-3-1, 3-1-1, 3-2, 4-2, 2-5, 6-2, 7, 2-1-3
First line: Roberts, Alleyne, Walker and Sonne; Raghouber, Laurent and Ramsey next.
Own-third passes / match 177.0long 16%goal kicks short 66%
IP · 02
Progression
2-7-1 / 3-6
LOWINFERRED3-man first line in 3/8 · per match: 3-4-2, 6-3, 4-4-2, 4-3-1, 3-6, 2-5-3, 5-4, 3-6
1 on the highest line (Larsen). Roberts steps inside from left-back.
Middle-third passes / match 194.2into final third / match 31.0
IP · 03
Final third
2-5-2 · 3 box
MEDIUMSTRONGLY INFERRED1-man first line in 4/8 · per match: 4-4-1, 4-2-2, 2-2-3, 1-3-3, 1-3-2-1, 1-2-4, 7-3, 1-6-1
4/5 lanes occupied, width from Sonne. Box presence: Ramsey, Larsen and Amdouni.
Box touches / match 20.6crosses 11.2shots 13.2
IP · 04
Rest defence
3+2 / 3+1
LOWSTRONGLY INFERRED3+2 in 3/8, 3+1 in 2/8 · game-state dependent (players shift 15.1m on average when leading)
Across 162 sustained final-third attacks, Alleyne, Walker, Roberts, Laurent, Raghouber and Mejbri took the ball outside the final third (pooled 3+3). Per match: 3+1, 3+2, 4+2, 3+1, 3+2, 4+2, 3+3, 3+2 — 5 behind the ball in 3/8.
Opp. fast-break shots / match 1.0opp. shots 14.2
Out of possession
positions = where each player makes his defensive actions
First engagements high: Ramsey 23%, Raghouber 13%, Laurent 11% of the team's actions in the final 40%. Line structure: insufficient evidence (defensive actions sit where the ball is; no tracking).
PPDA per match 20 / 20 / 31 / 17 / 17 / 20 / 17 / 26high regains / match 8.2actions in final 40% 15%
Deep defending led by Alleyne 23%, Walker 13%, Roberts 13%. Formation: insufficient evidence.
Def. actions in own third 62%per match 65.9
OOP · 04
Rest offence
1 HIGH
MEDIUMMEASURED24 outlet balls in the sample
Outlet after a deep regain: Ramazani 24% of the balls played out beyond halfway.
Deep regains / match 37.4played beyond halfway ≤3 passes 8%
Transitions
the first seconds after the ball changes hands
TR · 01
Defensive transition
RETREAT-FIRST
MEDIUMINFERREDpooled 333 losses · mode agrees in 5/8 matches
Retreat-first (inferred from thresholds): 33% of losses won back within 5 s, opponent reaches their half within 10 s after 22%. Per match: retreat-first, hybrid, retreat-first, hybrid, retreat-first, retreat-first, retreat-first, controlled counterpress.
Losses (front 60%) / match 41.6won back ≤5s 33%tactical foul ≤5s 3%
TR · 02
Attacking transition
DIRECT
MEDIUMINFERREDpooled 407 regains · style agrees in 4/8 matches
Direct (inferred): first pass forward 33%, long 14%. Forward receptions: Larsen, Ramsey and Amdouni. Per match: direct, secure-first, secure-first, hybrid, direct, controlled, direct, direct.
Regains → final third ≤10s 10%shot ≤15s 2%
Involved — median spot of his actions in the phaseOccupation zone (25th–75th pct)Rarely involved — overall positionForward receptionsLoss not won backLoss won back ≤5s
Tactical phases · Burnley1 / 2
Tactical phases · 2026/2027
PHASES OF PLAY
Set pieces · Tactical summary
Burnley
Sample: last 8 league matches — v West Ham 2-2, @ WBA 1-3, @ Norwich 1-4, v Middlesbrough 1-1, v Bristol City 1-2, @ Wrexham 1-1, @ Swansea 1-3, v Derby 1-1
Set pieces
goal at the top · corners shown from the right
SP · 01
Corners for
CENTRE
MEDIUMMEASURED
Deliveries: near post 31% · centre 37% · far post 31%; 10% played short.
Corners / match 4.9shots from corners 14goals 2
SP · 02
Corners against
1ST CONTACT 74%
MEDIUMMEASUREDmarking scheme: UNVERIFIED
Win the first contact on 74% of corners against. Event data can't show the marking scheme — the dots show where they clear it.
Corners against / match 4.2shots conceded / match 2.2
SP · 03
Free kicks for
CROSS
LOWMEASURED
Of 12 free kicks in the final 40%: 5 crossed, 2 short, 2 shot direct.
Set-piece shots / match 2.8from these FKs 5
SP · 04
Free kicks against
23 FACED
MEDIUMMEASURED
23 opposition free kicks in the final 40%; 10 led to a shot within 12 s.
Set-piece shots conceded / match 3.9
Involved — median spot of his actions in the phaseOccupation zone (25th–75th pct)Rarely involved — overall positionForward receptionsDelivery → shot / contact wonNo shotOpp. delivery
Tactical summary
phase map · confidence · evidence
Phase
Structure
Recurrence
Confidence
Evidence
Game state
Build-up
4-3
2-man first line 3/8
LOW
INFERRED
game-state dependent (players shift 8.7m on average when leading)
Progression
2-7-1 / 3-6
3-man first line 3/8
LOW
INFERRED
game-state dependent (players shift 9.2m on average when leading)
Final third
2-5-2
1-man first line 4/8
MEDIUM
STRONGLY INFERRED
game-state dependent (players shift 13.9m on average when leading)
Rest defence
3+2 / 3+1
5 behind in 3/8
LOW
STRONGLY INFERRED
game-state dependent (players shift 15.1m on average when leading)
High press
PPDA 19.8 · formation n/a
pooled
LOW
MEASURED
not tested
Mid block
insufficient evidence
pooled
LOW
MEASURED
not tested
Low block
insufficient evidence
pooled
LOW
MEASURED
not tested
Rest offence
1 high
24 outlet balls
MEDIUM
MEASURED
not tested
Defensive transition
retreat-first
5/8 matches agree
MEDIUM
INFERRED
not tested
Attacking transition
direct
4/8 matches agree
MEDIUM
INFERRED
not tested
Set pieces
corners mostly centre
39 corners
MEDIUM
MEASURED
not tested
Match sample
opponent context from the Opta feed
Date
Opponent
H/A
Score
Pass share
Nominal (Opta)
Opp. PPDA
Reds for/against
Game-state minutes
2026-08-16
West Ham
H
2-2
46%
4-2-3-1 v 4-4-2
13.9
0/0
level 15′, trailing 83′
2026-08-23
WBA
A
1-3
49%
4-2-3-1 v 4-4-1-1
18.9
0/0
level 40′, leading 10′, trailing 48′
2026-08-29
Norwich
A
1-4
63%
4-2-3-1 v 4-2-3-1
13.8
1/0
level 2′, trailing 95′
2026-09-02
Middlesbrough
H
1-1
42%
4-3-2-1 v 4-3-3
10.7
0/0
level 62′, trailing 35′
2026-09-05
Bristol City
H
1-2
53%
4-2-3-1 v 4-2-3-1
20.7
0/0
level 68′, leading 26′, trailing 4′
2026-09-08
Wrexham
A
1-1
47%
4-2-3-1 v 3-4-2-1
15.2
0/0
level 66′, leading 35′
2026-09-12
Swansea
A
1-3
46%
4-2-3-1 v 4-3-3
21.2
0/0
level 14′, trailing 86′
2026-09-19
Derby
H
1-1
52%
4-4-2 v 4-2-3-1
12.7
0/0
level 36′, leading 62′
Limitations
No tracking / freeze-frame data: positions are where players take part on the ball, not off-ball spacing.
Out-of-possession formations cannot be read from event data (actions sit at the ball) — reported as insufficient evidence.
8 matches: game-state splits compare player displacement; late-game (75'+) splits are too small to report.
Corner in/out-swing and marking schemes are not in the feed (UNVERIFIED).
Transition labels are threshold classifications calibrated on a small set of teams.
Sources & method
Opta event data (every on-ball event, x/y, qualifiers)
Match data: fixture list, crest, club colour, manager
Shapes = median on-ball location per player per phase; lines by optimal 1-D k-means
Confidence = agreement of single matches with the pooled structure + sample size
