As the dust settles on the 2024/2025 Premier League season, the focus naturally shifts toward the lessons learned and what they might mean heading into the 2025/2026 EPL campaign.
While headlines often revolve around goal scorers and playmakers, the foundation of any successful side remains defensive structure.
In a fast-paced and tactically demanding league as fast as England’s top flight, the ability to control space, limit high-value chances, and maintain discipline without the ball is often what separates serious contenders from hopeful challengers.
The 2024/2025 season offered a compelling range of defensive approaches among the Big Eight sides.
From Pep Guardiola’s ball-dominant Manchester City to Unai Emery’s compact Aston Villa, the defensive identities of these clubs were as varied as they were effective.
Each side not only had a different tactical blueprint but also displayed unique statistical trends, from aggressive pressing and sliding tackles to clearances, interceptions, and blocked shots.
Analysing those numbers provides us with deeper insight into what worked, what didn’t, and how each manager sought to protect their goal.
In this data analysis report, we analyse the defensive performance of Arsenal, Aston Villa, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Newcastle United, and Tottenham Hotspur against the key metrics that define modern defensive systems.
Using a blend of raw statistics and visualisations, we’ll identify stylistic trends, highlight standout contributors, and explore how each team’s defensive output aligned with their overall tactical strategy.
This report reflects on the past season’s performances.
It serves as a scouting lens for how these clubs might evolve defensively in 2025/2026 Premier League season, whether through new signings, tactical refinements, or structural overhauls.
The defensive side of the game is no longer an afterthought; it is a cornerstone of success in the modern Premier League.
Pressing Intent & Defensive Intensity: Analysing PPDA In The Big Eight Premier League Teams (2024/2025)
In evaluating the defensive identities of the Premier League’s big eight sides during the 2024/2025 season, Passes Per Defensive Action (PPDA) offers a telling insight into their pressing philosophies and off-ball aggression.
Passes Allowed Per Defensive Action For The Big Eight Teams in the Premier League 2024/2025
As a metric, PPDA reflects how many passes a team allows the opponent before attempting a defensive action in the opposition’s final 60% of the pitch; the lower the PPDA, the higher the pressing intensity.
Liverpool lead this pressing index with a league-low average PPDA of 9.89, underlining their aggressive high-press approach under Arne Slot.
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