Inside Opta: What I Learnt from Eight Weeks at the Heart of Football Data

Reflecting on My Internship with Stats Perform

I mean, where do I start? Many of you might not be familiar with the name Stats Perform, but I’d like to think the Opta brand is well known within the footballing world. Opta is essentially one of Stats Perform’s marquee brands and a key driver of its revenue, with the company selling the data it collects and analyses to a wide range of clients.

Opta provides data for 20+ sports globally. Initially created to analyse Premier League matches, it now works with leagues, federations, broadcasters, and betting platforms around the world. As a market leader in sports data and AI-led analysis, Opta sits at the centre of modern football insight.

But enough about who the company is. Here’s how I spent my eight weeks at Stats Perform, and why it’s been such a valuable experience.

Starting Out: The Data Insights Team

The first four weeks of my internship were spent with the Data Insights Editorial Team, where I was immediately introduced to the range of Opta tools available: Opta Live, Opta Search and Opta Graphics.

At first, getting to grips with Opta Search was daunting, there are millions of data points spanning decades. But with guidance from my mentor, Gary Mabbutt, I quickly learned how to filter through data and manipulate Excel files to find exactly what I needed. It felt surreal to be working in a field I had long wanted to be part of, scrolling through data sets of all-time greats, historic Premier League seasons, international results, and WSL match records.

These spreadsheets and Opta Search form the backbone of Opta’s Helpdesk service, a dedicated research support line for clients with specific data requests. From player form against certain teams to team streaks and custom graphics, clients pay for a certain number of helpdesk hours across a season, and each response needs to be accurate, insightful, and timely.

I dove straight into this on-call research hotline. One of the standout moments for me was a request from a BBC journalist, asking for Marcus Rashford’s attacking stats from the previous season compared to Barcelona forwards. A snippet of my email response was directly used in the BBC Sport live feed—a full-circle moment that reminded me how close this work is to real-time football storytelling.

Delivering Live Insights Through Opta Live

One of the most exciting aspects of this early stage was working with Opta Live. This product is used by broadcasters like the BBC to access real-time stats and insights during matches.

I was tasked, alongside my mentor, with monitoring a group-stage Euro 2025 game, spotting key trends as they happened, and uploading insights into the system. These observations, called "Helpdesk Insights", are pushed out live to clients and often resurface on social media or in commentary, sometimes verbatim.

Working in a fast-paced environment sharpened my ability to think on my feet. Whether it was a striker reaching a scoring milestone or a team dominating a specific area of the pitch, Opta Live required the ability to spot patterns quickly and write up the insights clearly. What stood out most was seeing how all the Opta tools, Search and Live, connected to build a bigger picture. 

A key element of the live coverage is writing up the post-match facts; these will then be sent out to specific clients. It was undoubtedly an exciting space to work in, and knowing that a stat I submitted could appear on live TV gave everything an added thrill.

Creating the 2025/26 WSL Preview Pack

One of the most meaningful projects I took on during this first phase was writing the 2025/26 Women’s Super League season preview pack. This pack is shared directly with the WSL and serves as a statistical starting point for the season.

I took ownership of the team profile pages writing three tailored insights per club and completing the data tables. Each stat was generated using the Opta Search and informed by my own knowledge of the league. The facts ranged from team-level win/loss streaks to individual player highlights.

This project was particularly satisfying as it allowed me to combine my passion for women’s football with the technical skills I was learning daily. It also highlighted a key takeaway from my internship: no matter how much you know, there’s always something new to learn when data is involved.

Switching Gears: Working with Opta Analyst

In the second half of the internship, I moved to the other side of the office to join the Opta Analyst team. This platform is Stats Perform’s direct-to-fan offering, showcasing data through editorial articles and visualisations. It represents the company’s core philosophy: using data to uncover new narratives and enrich existing ones.

Now that I was confident using the various Opta tools, I could apply that foundation to real editorial work. I wrote eight articles during this phase, six prediction pieces and two long-form features, all centred around the upcoming Women’s Euros in 2025.

https://theanalyst.com/articles/author/maya-shahstatsperform-com

The prediction articles were powered by Opta’s Supercomputer, which uses AI to forecast match outcomes and tournament progression. I learned how to build a narrative around these outputs, how to frame the story the data was telling and connect it to real players, teams, and trends.

One feature I’m particularly proud of focused on Chloe Kelly. The piece analysed her England success, her performance at Manchester City, and asked the question: should she be seen as more than just an impact player? Using my data training, I pulled together stats and trends to support a 1,500-word feature that captured both her talent and her impact.

Looking Beyond Editorial: Learning from Other Departments

Beyond my core work, the internship offered valuable exposure to other parts of the company. I learned how data is collected and categorised, starting from raw match events (like goals and red cards) to derived statistics (like xG or passes in the opposition half), and finally to aggregate data that powers leaderboards and standings.

Stats Perform collects data from more than 3,000 competitions across six continents and reaches over three billion fans. I also learned how this data feeds into betting markets and powers tools that maintain integrity within the game.

Inspiring the Next Generation of Women’s Sport

One of the most inspiring parts of my internship was learning how the company is helping drive growth in women’s sport, specifically by spending some time with current Managing Editor of News Louise Bawden. She taught me that rise of women’s football isn’t just about visibility, it’s also about data, marketing, and meaningful engagement.

We collaborated on a feature about Sarina Wiegman, who became the first coach, across both men’s and women’s football, to reach five major international finals.

What I took away from her, and this project, was a reminder that statistics are often best when they’re not overthought. The challenge is to let the data speak without losing the story.

Final Thoughts

My eight weeks at Stats Perform were more than just an internship, they were an introduction to how football data powers the modern game. From understanding the tools that sit behind every stat to learning how to tell stories that matter, I gained insight into a side of football I’ve always wanted to be part of.

The experience has only reinforced my passion for women’s football and shown me how crucial data is in driving the sport forward. Whether it’s writing previews, supporting live broadcasts, or uncovering new stories through numbers, I’ve seen first-hand the power of data to elevate the game.