January 5 – Week 18 of Premier league fixtures saw Liverpool and West Ham unite for two of the strongest turnouts of the season, raising the average of an overall dismal week for Premier League turnout.
Fulham record the lowest stadium capacity percentage of the week as they begin to earn the title of serial underperformers, as this week marks the eighth week that Fulham have been bottom of the ranking.
The week saw Liverpool welcome the biggest Anfield crowd in history at 57,548 – a record that is set to be broken upon the completion of the club’s reconstruction of the Anfield road stand.
Spurred on by festive spirit, week 19 of the Premier League season, encompassing matches during Boxing Day and the subsequent two days, marked a significant improvement on the week prior.
The fixtures witnessed a record five stadiums above 99% capacity, including a first for the Emirates as the Gunners lost 0-2 to a travelling West Ham. The other notable teams include Brentford, Manchester United, Brighton and Newcastle United, the latter of which are yet to score below 99.3% since the opening matchday of the league season.
Thanks to a wide variety of high turnouts, the week recorded the third highest percentage capacity average out of the first 20 matches of the season, capitalised by Newcastle United’s 99.81% turnout despite a considerable drop in recent form, for a match that saw former player Chris Wood score a hattrick against his old club.
On the other end of the spectrum, Sheffield United scored the worst %capacity of an overall impressive week at 96.85%, which would have been an average score for weeks 18 and 20.
Manchester United predictably had the highest turnout of the festive period as 73,574 fans witnessed the Red Devils’ 3-2 comeback victory over high-flying Aston Villa in a game that marked Rasmus Hojlund’s first Premier League goal for the club in some style.
Week 20 marked a dip in average capacity, recording an average of 97.315% across ten league games – just shy of the league average.
The fixtures saw Manchester City return to the Etihad after winning the Club World Cup the week prior, as fans returned to watch their side defeat Sheffield United 2-0. The victory placed City third in the table, just five points off league leaders Liverpool with a game in hand.
West Ham and Liverpool topped the week with outstanding turnouts yet again.
The Premier League continues on Saturday January 13 as Chelsea host London rivals Fulham.
Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at moc.l1716140053labto1716140053ofdlr1716140053owedi1716140053sni@g1716140053niwe.1716140053yrrah1716140053