Paul Hayward: Big data clubs are now threatening the major money establishments

Paul Hayward: Big data clubs are now threatening the major money establishments

New innovations have narrowed the gap for dreamers

‘It’s not only the business model that’s mutating. Premier League football feels fundamentally different.’ Photo: Ryan Pierse/Getty Images

In pundit terms, “yer Bournemouths, yer Sunderlands and yer Brentfords” have made cartel-threatening starts to this Premier League season, mining deep data and ignoring big money’s rules to make England’s top division feel a bit more democratic.

When the weekend kicked off, Bournemouth were second, Sunderland were fourth and Brentford (11th) had beaten Liverpool, Manchester United and Aston Villa at home. The three promoted teams don’t all look like going straight back down. Survival may end up being a data-use challenge