HustleRate: Measuring the Relentless Press of Premier League Forwards
A custom metric that captures which attackers apply the most defensive pressure through effort, commitment, and disruption high up the pitch.
Introduction
Pressing is one of my favorite aspects of football. I can’t stand passive forwards who do the bare minimum out of possession especially when the opposition is trying to build from the back.
I believe elite teams have moved on from that style. In today’s game, a single lapse of concentration from a forward can lead to a lightning-fast attack starting from a goal kick and ending in your net.
That’s why I built HustleRate, a metric designed to highlight which forwards press high, press often, and do it effectively.
Methodology
The goal of HustleRate is simple: measure which center forwards press the hardest and most effectively when their team is out of possession.
Here’s how it works:
🔎 Focusing on Pressures
We filtered StatsBomb’s event data to isolate pressures made by players listed as Center Forwards. These are the frontline players expected to initiate pressing when possession is lost.
🧮 Scoring Pressing Outcomes
For each pressure, we looked at the next 9 events in the game to see what happened immediately after. Based on the outcome, we assigned a score:
+0.9 for a dispossession
+0.6 if the ball went out of play
+0.4 if the pressured team was forced to pass backwards
+1.0 if the press led to a shot by the pressing team
Each event had to occur within 10 seconds of the pressure to count.
📍 Location-Based Weighting
We then adjusted the score based on where the pressure happened:
Depth (closer to the opponent’s goal = higher impact)
Centrality (more central = more valuable)
These were combined to produce a final pressure score per event.
⏱️ Scaling for Game Time
We added each player’s total minutes and calculated their HustleRate per 90 minutes to allow fair comparisons.
🔄 Possession Adjustment: Context Matters
Not all pressing opportunities are created equal. A forward playing for a possession-heavy team (like Manchester City) has fewer chances to press compared to one in a counter-attacking setup (like Nottingham Forest).
To account for this, we calculated each team’s out-of-possession share using StatsBomb's possession data:
Counted all unique possessions per team per match.
Compared each team’s possession count to the total number of possessions in the match.
Computed an out-of-possession ratio:
\(1 - \left(\frac{\text{team's possessions}}{\text{total match possessions}}\right)\)This gives us a percentage of time each team spends without the ball.
Averaged this across all matches for each team to get their season-long out-of-possession share.
This value was then used to contextualize pressing scores, giving fair credit to forwards who operate in teams with fewer pressing chances.
In the end, we get teams ranked by their out-of-possession-share and we can see unsurprisingly Nottingham Forest is top of the list:
📊 Results: Who Hustles the Most?
After calculating the raw pressure scores per 90 for each center forward, we needed to account for pressing context. Some teams spend more time out of possession than others naturally, their forwards have more opportunities to press. To make comparisons fair:
Merged Team Out-of-Possession Share
Each forward’s data was combined with their team’s average out-of-possession share, giving us a clearer picture of the environment they operate in.Adjusted for Pressing Context
We divided the rawpressure_score_per_90by the team’sout_of_possession_share. This highlights forwards who press frequently even when their teams dominate possession.Normalized the Score
To make the values intuitive and directly comparable, we normalized the adjusted scores on a scale from 0 to 1 where 1 represents the highest HustleRate in the league.
The final table reveals the top 10 Premier League forwards by HustleRate, our custom pressing metric. These are the players who consistently bring pressure, disrupt buildup, and lead the press from the front.
🔍 Player Insights: The Premier League’s Relentless Runners
🥇 Dominic Solanke tops the HustleRate chart. Known since his Bournemouth days as a pressing machine, his off-ball engine has impressed even more under Iraola and now with Spurs, he’s getting the same praise. As Van de Ven put it:
“Dom has been unbelievable since he joined. He keeps sprinting over and over again… it’s insane.”
Even if he doesn’t top scoring charts, Solanke’s off-ball work continues to be elite and under Thomas Frank, that’s likely to be a defining trait.
🤔 Nicolas Jackson remains a curious case. His energy is undeniable, he’s fast, aggressive, and physical but sometimes too erratic. This is his second year in England, and while his off-ball metrics are promising, his composure in front of goal still lags behind. Interestingly, new Chelsea signing Liam Delap, who also makes the list, may bring the balance Jackson lacks: calmer, more composed, but equally committed off the ball.
⚡ Alexander Isak has had a brilliant season for Newcastle. He’s been praised for his goals, but his pressing work often flies under the radar. HustleRate reflects his ability to lead the line and set the tempo from the front.
🧨 the late Diogo Jota is no surprise here. His intensity, movement, and sharpness out of possession have long been hallmarks of his game. Unfortunately, injuries have limited his impact but when fit, he’s a difference-maker on both sides of the ball. He will be missed.
🚀 Darwin Núñez is full of chaos. Like Jackson, he presses hard, often too hard sometimes at the cost of composure. His HustleRate is high, but managing his energy may unlock the elite tier many expect from him. A move to Napoli can do him wonders.
💪 Beto and Dominic Calvert-Lewin showcase the kind of pressing Everton demand. Hardworking, physical, and ever-ready to chase lost causes it’s no wonder they thrive under that structure. With Lewin now a free agent, it’ll be fascinating to see which club values his profile most.
🔥 Evanilson has quietly impressed for Iraola’s Bournemouth, putting in the hard yards to earn his spot among the elite. And Erling Haaland? Some might be surprised, but Guardiola’s system demands relentless pressing and Haaland has clearly bought in.
🧾 Conclusion: Hustle Isn’t Optional
In an era where pressing defines modern football, HustleRate gives us a clearer lens on which center forwards are truly leading the charge without the ball. It’s not just about defensive contribution, it’s about intent, effort, and the ability to disrupt the opponent's rhythm at its source.
From Solanke’s relentless engine to Isak’s understated effort, and even Jackson and Núñez’s chaotic aggression, we see how different profiles bring value through sheer commitment. Whether it’s the system, the coach, or the player’s DNA, pressing has become a non-negotiable trait especially at elite clubs.
While goals still steal the headlines, the players topping this metric remind us that what you do off the ball can be just as decisive. Hustle isn’t just a stat. It’s a mindset.
And in the modern game? That mindset is everything.
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