Literally just a more sophisticated version of 'shots on target'. Just breaks down the chance each shot on target had of actually being a goal. I get that the more statistical/analytical this sort of stuff becomes more people won't want to hear it, but I guess people like it for betting/analysis of games. I know people in the Fantasy Football community love it as it helps to rate how well a player is playing even if they haven't scored.
I'm not a huge believer in it because if a player has a high xG - for example Longman's chance against Huddersfield - it can either mean they're **** and should have done better with the chance, or have been unlucky, and how do you tell the difference?
