Premier League form

About the form table

The league table tells you who has done well over the whole season. A form table tells you who is doing well now. This one rebuilds the Premier League table from each club's most recent matches only, so you can see which teams are on the rise and which are slipping, whatever their league position says.

Switch between the last 6 and last 10 matches, home or away only, or the whole season. Alongside points and goals, every club gets three extra numbers:

xG and xGA are expected goals for and against: how many goals a team's chances were worth, based on where and how they were taken. They're a better guide to future scoring than goals alone, because finishing and goalkeeping tend to even out.

xPts is expected points: the points a team would have taken on average if every match were replayed many times with the same chances.

Luck is points minus xPts. A big positive number means a team has won more than its chances deserved and may cool off. A big negative number means it has been unlucky and could pick up.

Click any club for its last six results and its season record. Form is most telling alongside the fixtures page: a team in good form with an easy run ahead is likely to keep climbing.

Players

Switch to Players to see who's in form right now. Choose how many recent matchweeks (rounds of fixtures) to look at, from the last one to the last six, then narrow it by position. Click any heading to sort.

Players are ranked by goals plus assists. xG and xA are expected goals and expected assists: how many goals and assists a player's chances and passes were worth. xGI adds them together. +/- is goals plus assists minus xGI: a big positive number means a player has scored or assisted more than his chances suggest, which often doesn't last; a big negative number means the returns may be on their way.

Pick DEF to rank defenders by defensive actions (tackles, interceptions, clearances and blocks), with clean sheets alongside. Pick GK to rank goalkeepers by clean sheets. Midfielders show defensive actions too, which also count ball recoveries, so you can find the ones who do the hard work.

Fantasy Premier League players can switch on FPL stats to add FPL points, price and ownership, rank by points and filter by price.

Next to each player are his club's next three fixtures, coloured by difficulty. Players with fewer than 90 minutes in the window are left out of the main table; "Show more" lists everyone who played.

Questions

Why does a team high on points have a low xPts?

It has been winning matches its chances say it might have drawn or lost: clinical finishing, an inspired goalkeeper, or luck. That rarely lasts, so treat its form with some caution.

Where does the xG come from?

From the official data behind Fantasy Premier League (the Premier League's fantasy game), which gives every player's expected goals for each match. A team's xG for a match is the total for its players.

How many matches should I look at?

For teams, the last 6 is a good balance: recent enough to catch a change of manager or system, long enough not to be fooled by one result. For players, four matchweeks works well; use one or two to spot a sudden change, such as a new role or a return from injury.