A responsible publisher label and revision date are shown on each permanent methodology guide.
The Magic Sponge editorial team · reviewed 17 October 2026
How to read the Form Matrix and Trajectory
The Form Analysis page separates confirmed current-season results from a forward-looking expected-points projection. This guide explains the difference and shows how the calculations should be read.
Missing information is labelled as unavailable. The guide does not infer unavailable football facts.
Use the Contact page with the relevant match or page and an authoritative supporting source.
The Results Matrix is a record of current-season outcomes
Each row represents a team and each column is a provider-supplied gameweek. W, D and L are recorded only for completed fixtures. A blank or dash means that the team did not have a recorded result in that gameweek; it is not treated as a draw.
The matrix can be filtered by home or away venue and by a season, five-match or ten-match view. These filters change the view of the same current-season records; they do not mix old archive fixtures into live form.
The Trajectory shows distance from the league average
For every gameweek, the chart totals a team’s recorded points and subtracts the cumulative current-league average. A line above zero means that the team has accumulated more points than that running average; a line below zero means fewer.
For a simple worked example, if a team has 10 recorded points at a point where the cumulative league average is 8.5, its trajectory value is +1.5. This is a comparison of recorded points, not an xG table or a forecast of final position.
The dotted projection is deliberately separate
The Season Projection uses the Match Centre production probabilities for the official unplayed fixture list to calculate fractional expected points. It is shown as a dotted continuation after the verified line so it cannot be mistaken for an earned final table.
The projection refreshes when confirmed results change the current record or when the official future fixture list changes. It does not create a result for a past fixture that lacks a verified score.
Useful checks before drawing a conclusion
Compare home and away views before assuming that a team’s overall run travels well. Check how many completed matches are actually in the selected range, especially after a postponed fixture or a blank gameweek.
The charts are most useful alongside the Results and Fixtures pages: one explains what has happened, while the other explains the upcoming schedule and any supported pre-match context.
Use the live tool
Read the guide, then check the current data
Current football information
For an actual fixture, current form or final score, use the linked live tool. This guide explains the method; it does not replace current provider data.
Limitations matter
Schedules can change, player data can be unavailable and a forecast can be wrong. Read the status label on the relevant live page before relying on any information.
Questions or corrections
Contact support@themagicsponge.co.uk or use the Contact page. Please include the page or match and a reliable supporting source.