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Do Premier League teams really need to run more to win matches?

An empty football stadium and its pitch
File photograph: An empty football stadium and its pitch. Ben Wiens / Unsplash. Illustrative context, not a photograph of this reported event.
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Pundits regularly criticise teams for not running enough but is there a link between distance covered and results? By Opta Analyst It was like clockwork. Manchester United dropped points against Tottenham and critics were quick to question their effort and application, using the team’s physical statistics to make points.

Speaking on Sky Sports, Jamie Redknapp said: “There’s a pattern I don’t really like when I watch teams, and that’s when – and the stats don’t lie – the other team runs more than you. In the Premier League right now, I feel there are a couple of non-negotiables: you’ve got to run more than the other team if you want to win, or at least get close enough that it doesn’t make that much of a difference. Tottenham ran five kilometres more than Manchester United.”

Read the original report at The Guardian.

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The Guardian

Source headline and summary supplied via NewsData.io. First collected by NewsJaws on 2026-10-16. This is an automated news brief, not original NewsJaws reporting. Dates reflect the source publication. Feed delays may apply.

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