Warm Up
Discuss these questions with your partner before you start the lesson.
Question 1
Have you ever had to explain numbers or data to someone in English? How did it go?
Question 2
What makes a data presentation easy to follow? Think of structure, language, and visuals.
Question 3
If you had to summarise a football match in three statistics, which three would you choose?
Vocabulary
8 key words for this lesson
HIGHLIGHT
To draw attention to something important — to make sure someone notices a key piece of data.
"I want to highlight one number in particular — their xGA was 0.4 and they conceded twice."
DIFFERENTIAL
The difference between two numbers — often used to compare two teams' statistics.
"The xG differential was 2.1 in our favour — that tells you everything about who dominated."
TREND
A pattern that continues over time — when a statistic consistently goes up, down, or stays the same across multiple games.
"There's a clear trend here — their progressive pass percentage has dropped in each of the last five matches."
OUTLIER
A result that is very different from the others — an unusual data point that doesn't fit the pattern.
"The 4-0 win is an outlier — their average xG per game is 1.1, not 3.8."
BENCHMARK
A standard number used for comparison — a reference point that helps you judge whether a figure is good or bad.
"The league average for press success rate is 28%. Our benchmark should be 32% or above."
CORRELATION
When two statistics are linked — when one goes up, the other tends to go up (or down) too.
"There's a strong correlation between progressive passes per game and goals scored across the league."
CAVEAT
A warning or limitation that you add to your data — something that makes the numbers less certain or less reliable.
"One caveat — this data only covers the last three matches, so the sample size is small."
TAKEAWAY
The main thing you want your audience to remember from a presentation — the key message.
"The main takeaway from tonight's data is simple: we create good chances but our finishing needs to improve."
Grammar Focus
Understand the grammar rule behind this lesson's topic
Grammar focus
Discourse markers — signposting your presentation
When you present data in English, discourse markers help your listener follow your thinking. They signal what comes next — a new point, a contrast, a conclusion, or an example. Common signposting phrases: "To begin with..." (opening), "Moving on to..." (transition), "What's particularly striking is..." (emphasis), "In contrast..." (comparison), "To summarise..." (closing). Using these consistently makes your presentation sound professional and easy to follow.
Phrases
6 phrases and their meanings
WALK THROUGH
To explain something step by step — to guide someone through information slowly and clearly.
"Let me walk you through the xG data from the last five matches."
ZOOM IN ON
To look more closely at one specific area or number — to focus on a particular detail.
"I'd like to zoom in on the second half — that's where the performance dropped significantly."
STAND OUT
To be noticeably different from everything else — to be the most obvious or striking figure.
"One number stands out immediately — their xGA is 0.4 but they've conceded 12 goals this season."
DRILL DOWN INTO
To look deeper into the details of a data set — to go beyond the surface numbers.
"When we drill down into the possession data, we find that most of it was lateral play."
POINT TO
To indicate or suggest — when data shows evidence that supports a particular conclusion.
"All of these numbers point to the same conclusion — their press is less effective away from home."
BREAK DOWN
To separate into smaller parts for easier analysis — to divide a total figure into its components.
"Let me break down the 74 pressures — 41 were in the final third, 33 in the middle third."
On the Pitch
Real phrases used on the pitch and at training — learn them, shout them!
These are real data presentation scenarios in a football context — learn the language for each.
“Opening a data presentation to a coach”
When you walk a coach through data, start with the most important headline number, then build the story around it. Be clear, be direct, and use signposting language.
"To begin with, I want to highlight the most important number from Saturday — our xG was 2.6 and we scored once. That's our starting point today." Good openings give the audience something concrete to hold onto immediately.
“Transitioning between data areas”
When you move from one type of data to another (e.g., from attacking stats to defensive stats), signal the transition clearly so the audience can follow.
"Moving on to the defensive data — and this is where things get interesting..." or "Let's shift our attention now to the pressing numbers." Without signposting, transitions feel abrupt and confusing.
“Highlighting an outlier or unexpected result”
When one number looks very different from the rest, call it out explicitly and explain why it's different.
"What's particularly striking here is the 4-0 win in February — that's clearly an outlier. Their average xG per game is 1.2, not 3.8. One unusually weak opponent inflated the numbers." Acknowledging outliers builds credibility.
“Adding a caveat to the data”
Good analysts always point out the limitations of their data. A caveat shows intellectual honesty and builds trust with your audience.
"One caveat before I continue — we only have data from six matches, so the sample size is small. These trends may shift as the season goes on." Never present data without mentioning its limitations.
“Drilling down into a headline number”
A headline number (like "74 pressures") only becomes useful when you break it down further. Always go deeper.
"When we drill down into the 74 pressures — 42 were in the final third, which is where we want them. Only 11 were in our own defensive third. So the press was well-positioned." Breaking down makes the number meaningful.
“Closing with the main takeaway”
End every presentation with one clear message — the single most important thing you want the coach or audience to remember.
"To summarise — the main takeaway is this: we are creating excellent chances but converting very few. xG suggests we should be scoring 2.1 goals per game. Our actual average is 0.8. The finishing is the problem, not the system." One clear message is more powerful than ten.
Videos
Watch these terms used in context
Dialogue
Read the dialogue and hover the blue words for definitions
Good morning. To begin with, I want to walk you through three key areas from the last four matches — attack, defence, and pressing.
Keep it simple. What's the most important thing?
The main takeaway is this — our xG per game is 2.1 but we're only scoring 0.9. That's a significant underperformance in front of goal.
Is it a problem with the striker or the system?
When I drill down into the shot data, the chances are genuinely good — xG above 0.4 each. The issue is finishing, not chance creation.
And the defence?
Moving on to defence — and this is actually a positive story. Our xGA is 0.6 per game. We're defending well. One caveat — two of the four opponents were very weak, so the sample may flatter us slightly.
Good. Let's focus training on finishing this week. Can you prepare a short video of the missed chances?
Exercises
Complete all three exercises to see your final score
Complete the Sentence
Choose the correct answer to complete each sentence.
Choose the best phrase to complete each sentence from a data presentation.
1.To ___ with, let's look at the most important statistic from last night.
2.What's particularly ___ is the xG differential — 2.4 to 0.3 in our favour.
3.When we ___ down into the possession data, most passes are going sideways.
4.One ___ before I continue — this is only three matches of data.
5.___ on to the defensive numbers — and this is actually a positive story.
6.The main ___ from tonight's analysis is simple — our finishing needs to improve.
Matching
Click a word, then click its correct definition.
Click a word on the left, then its definition on the right.
Words
Definitions
Fill in the Blank
Drag the correct words from the word bank to complete each sentence.
Sentence 1
Let me— — —the xG data from the last five matches.
Sentence 2
Moving— — —the defensive data — and this is where things get interesting.
Sentence 3
One number— — —immediately — their xGA of 0.4 but 12 goals conceded.
Sentence 4
When we— — —the possession numbers, most passes are going sideways.
Sentence 5
The 4-0 win is clearly an— — —— their average xG per game is only 1.1.
Sentence 6
All of these numbers— — —the same conclusion — their press is weaker away from home.
Sentence 7
One— — —— this data only covers three matches, so the sample is small.
Tip: Think about the meaning of each word and what makes sense in the sentence.
Multiple Choice
Choose the best answer for each question about the dialogue.
1.What is the purpose of a "caveat" in a data presentation?
2.Which phrase signals a transition from one topic to another?
3.Fill in the gap: "Let me ___ down into the pressing numbers — there's something important here."
4.What does "the main takeaway" mean at the end of a presentation?
5.What is a "benchmark" in football data analysis?
Group Activities
Role-play scenarios and discussion questions for group classes
🎯 Choose the Best Response
Choose the most professional and clear way to present this data to a coaching staff.
Customer says
“You need to explain: "Our xG per game is 2.1 but we're only scoring 0.9 — what's the problem?"”
Salesperson responds…
Customer says
“You want to add a warning about the data before presenting it.”
Salesperson responds…
🔍 Spot the Mistake
Find the mistake in this data presentation script.
Analyst
Good morning, everyone. To begin with, I want to highlight our key performance indicators from this month.
Analyst
Our xG per game comes in at 1.8 — that's above the league average benchmark of 1.4.
Analyst
Moving on to the defensive side — our xGA per game is 0.9, which is the third best in the league.
Analyst
One caveat though — the 4-0 win against the bottom team is a clear outlier that inflates our attacking numbers.
Analyst
To summarise, the main takeout is this: we defend well and create good chances, but our finishing is below average.
✏️ Finish the Salesperson's Line
Complete the analyst's sentence in a natural, professional way.
Customer
“”
Salesperson
“What's particularly striking in this data is... …”
Customer
“”
Salesperson
“When we drill down into the pressing data, we can see that... …”
Customer
“”
Salesperson
“To summarise tonight's analysis, the main takeaway is... …”