Rehabilitation and return-to-play (RTP) are some of the most critical phases in elite sport. Accuracy in session planning, progression and monitoring determines whether a player returns safely – or risks re-injury.

At Arsenal FC, Head of Performance Tom Allen and First Team Sports Scientist Ben Talbot explain why reliable, live performance data plays an essential role in the club’s RTP framework.

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Accurate Progression: Non-Negotiable

Arsenal staff stress that rehab is built on accurate progressions. For Talbot, this means having absolute trust in live session data:

“If we’re looking at progressions throughout a rehab period and different sessions, for us to be able to rely on the live data to know that what we’re doing is accurate is the most important part for us.”

This is particularly important with hamstring rehabilitation, where gradual exposure to speed is critical and there is very little margin for error.

Each player has an individual maximum speed profile, and rehab targets must reflect this. For example, Gabriel Martinelli’s maximum speed in the first week of the season was 35.5 km/h  – but not every player will hit those levels. Building progressions therefore, have to be player-specific, not generic. On Sonra, you can ensure this is upheld with both relative & absolute metrics.

“If we look at a hamstring injury and we’re looking at building up speed over each session, we don’t want to think that we’ve overcooked or undercooked the speed we’re targeting.”

Without accurate, player-specific benchmarks, practitioners risk either overloading the athlete too soon or under-preparing them for the demands of match play.

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The Cost of Inaccurate Data

Allen underlines how unreliable data compromises the entire process – not just the session itself:

“Imagine you say to the coach ‘we’ve hit our targets’. You download the data and it’s wrong – either overestimated or underestimated. Now your periodisation is off, and you’re reacting to errors instead of planning the drills you wanted.”

For practitioners working in elite environments, data integrity is directly linked to trust – both with the coaching staff and with the player.

“If the numbers aren’t right, you’ve messed up your periodisation. You’re not building towards your plan – you’re fixing mistakes. That’s the worst place to be in elite football.”

STATSports Apex 2.0 is FIFA Quality approved and is one of the only providers that guarantees that live data is identical to post-session downloads. This removes any uncertainty, ensuring that the numbers coaches see in real time are the same ones they use for analysis and periodisation.

Inaccurate live data can result in;

• • Valuable time lost in the RTP process – meaning key players miss key games.
  • Re-injury – worst case scenario.
  • Loss of trust in you as a coach from management and especially in longer term processes – the player.

“The data needs to be reliable so when we download it, it’s exactly as we saw during the session – we’re not making the player do any more or less than we want.”

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One-to-One Rehab: Feedback via Apple Watch

Much of Arsenal’s return-to-play work takes place in one-to-one settings, with staff often running alongside players or working in close proximity during drills. In these situations, quick access to live data is essential.

Talbot highlights how the Sonra  Apple Watch application streamlines this process:

“From our practical point of view, rather than picking up an iPad, putting it back down, having the watch is just so easy to access on the wrist.

The live data is exactly what we expect, and when we download it, it matches.”

This allows coaches to track metrics in real time while staying fully engaged with the player, and to provide instant feedback when required:

“If they’re asking what speed they’re running at or what high-speed metrics they’ve hit, we can give them that data immediately.”

For Arsenal staff, the key benefit of the Apple Watch app is its ease of use: it removes barriers between practitioner and player, ensuring sessions remain smooth, efficient, and fully aligned with RTP targets.

“For us, the key thing is the ease of use, and the watch gives us that”

As an example, when progressing a player through high-speed running exposures, the coach can confirm in real time whether the player has hit the exact target set for that drill.

If a player asks mid-session what speed he’s just reached, the practitioner can provide the answer immediately, rather than waiting until the session is complete. This immediacy builds confidence, ensures drills are performed at the right intensity, and keeps the session player-centred, not device-centred.

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As an elite football club, Arsenal rely on some of the best practitioners in the game to manage their players’ return-to-play. Their emphasis is always on precision, efficiency, and reliability.

With the Premier League becoming faster and more physically demanding every season, coaches need to be fully prepared with tools and processes that keep pace.

Allen summarises:

“You look now, players are running more, and it’s become a lot faster. It’s important that you see things like STATSports, where you’re able to get valid, reliable information quickly that can then help the player.”

Ultimately, reliable live data is the foundation of effective rehab. It allows Arsenal staff to progress players safely, individualise targets, and make decisions with confidence, in whatever form the data is in.

For coaches working at the highest level, the lesson is clear: without accurate and immediate information, there is no true control over the return-to-play process.