This Python script is designed to facilitate in-depth analysis and visualization of player statistics from FBREF through the generation of a highly customizable horizontal bar chart. The initial phase involves the extraction of player-specific details from FBREF, where special attention is given to mitigating potential order-related issues during web scraping. To address these concerns, the script strategically stores the acquired data in a CSV file and subsequently reads it back for further processing.
Notably, users can tailor the visual representation of the data by choosing from a variety of colormaps, such as magma, winter, coolwarm, copper, Blues, Reds, Greens, viridis or plasma, which are applied to the chart to convey percentiles through distinct and visually appealing colors. Additionally, the script allows users to fine-tune various aspects of the chart's appearance, including font size, font path for annotations, background color, and grid lines. The result is a comprehensive and adaptable tool that empowers users to gain valuable insights into player performance metrics from FBREF. The finalized chart is saved as a PNG file, providing a tangible and shareable output for further analysis or presentation purposes.