Since you’re reading this, you’re a soccer fan. And since you’re a soccer fan, you’ve surely heard the term “expected goals,” or “xG,” by now. ESPN’s Paul Carr, mlssoccer.com’s Ben Baer, and other outlets have started to use it with increasing regularity. We teamed up with Michael Caley, one of the pioneers in the creation and burgeoning popularity of this stat, to break it down in the simplest way possible. We hope you enjoy.
For extra credit, read longer explanations on xG, or even Caley’s full methodology.