2 weeks ago 
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What if the Premier League changed its rules and awarded the trophy to the winners by alternate means?
ByDaniel Austin
BBC Sport elder journalist
Arsenal mightiness person ended their 22-year hold to the triumph the title, but is determination immoderate metric by which the Gunners wouldn't person been champions?
Very fewer radical would suggest Arsenal were not worthy champions, truthful is determination immoderate penetration for america to summation by assessing the performances of each 20 teams successful alternate ways?
Just for fun, BBC Sport and Opta person crunched each the numbers to find out.
How would the Premier League array look based connected expected points?
Now, I already cognize precisely what you're reasoning - "It's existent points that count, not expected ones!"
And yes, you're right, points triumph prizes and that's wherefore the existent league array is the lone 1 that matters.
But expected points (xPTS) are utile for shot analysts due to the fact that they tin service arsenic a decent indicator of whether a squad implicit oregon under-performed crossed the people of a season.
Expected points are calculated by comparing the prime of goalscoring chances a squad makes (xG) and concedes (xGA) successful each lucifer passim the campaign, and shows what the interaction would person been connected the team's points total.
In theory, it measures however genuinely beardown a team's attacking and antiaircraft show was.
There are a fewer existent outliers connected xPTS, the astir notable being Sunderland, who would person been relegated had they earned the magnitude of points they 'should' person done, according to the data.
Aston Villa would besides person finished successful the bottommost half, portion Chelsea would person qualified for the Champions League.
Maybe support an oculus connected whether Sunderland and Villa autumn disconnected massively adjacent play if you fancy figuring retired erstwhile and for each whether 'expected' information is genuinely insightful oregon a heap of hogwash.
What astir location and distant form?
Time for a classical of the alternate league array genre now.
Who has built themselves a fortress astatine home? Who gets question sick connected agelong journeys? Let's find out.
The astir striking quality present is Tottenham, who seemingly could hardly carnivore the thought of playing successful beforehand of their ain fans, but earned capable points connected the roadworthy to suffice for the Europa League if lone distant trips counted.
Everton and Nottingham Forest were besides overmuch amended distant than astatine home, possibly a astonishment fixed their fans' estimation for generating a large atmosphere.
The squad whose location results outshone their distant ones to the top grade was Fulham, and just play to them, Craven Cottage is the astir homely sounding crushed successful the country.
Who did champion from set-pieces?
This was a Premier League play defined by set-pieces - the goals scored from them, the fouls not fixed that mightiness good person been successful the past, the permanently tracksuited and strangely often long-haired specializer coaches connected the touchline who became insignificant celebrities.
It volition travel arsenic nary astonishment that Arsenal were among the champion performers from set-pieces, thing that became 1 of the main talking points of the season.
Will top-flight clubs walk the summertime transportation model trying to maestro the set-piece meta by buying caller free-kick takers and a gaggle of giants for them to lash the shot at? Or volition a little concern mode of scoring goals re-emerge instead?
Enough of the intricacy and the controversy, anyway. Bring connected the screamers.
Here is the Premier League array if lone goals scored from extracurricular the container had counted successful 2025-26.
And which teams had the astir English goalscorers?
Have you got a monolithic St George's transverse covering the full beforehand of your location yet? Face overgarment stored safely successful the cupboard acceptable for kick-off against Croatia?
No? Pfft, immoderate England instrumentality you are!
With the Three Lions aiming to bring the trophy home, what if the Football Association had prepared for the tourney by asking the Premier League to fertile the array utilizing lone goals scored by English players this season?
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