December 28 – The festive season delivered not only goals but packed stands across the Premier League, with Boxing Day fixtures recording an impressive average capacity of 98.12%, comfortably exceeding the season’s overall average. Fans turned out in droves to support their teams, though a few notable clubs struggled to fill their seats.
Manchester City, despite their star-studded squad, continued to underwhelm off the pitch. Their 1-1 draw with Everton saw 2,000 empty seats at the Etihad Stadium for the sixth consecutive home game- the last time City matched the league’s average capacity was back in early October during a victory over Fulham.
Southampton also struggled to fill their ground as poor performances on the pitch continued to impact fan turnout at St Mary’s. With the club cemented to the foot of the table, the challenge of creating a ticket demand to sell out St Mary’s is evident.
Nottingham Forest, however, offered a bright spark, firmly planting themselves in the ‘99% club’ once again. Fans at the City Ground witnessed a fiery encounter as Nuno’s side took on his former club Spurs, with Forest strengthening their grip on a European spot. The match saw no shortage of drama, including the sending off of ex-Forest player Djed Spence, adding fuel to an already heated affair.
The week’s highest attendance was recorded at Anfield, with Liverpool edging out Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium by a slim margin of just 29 seats. Liverpool’s dominant 4-1 comeback victory over Leicester extended their unbeaten run across all competitions to 22 games. The message from the league leaders was loud and clear: catch us if you can.
Arsenal, while narrowly missing out on the top attendance figure, once again packed the Emirates to near-capacity. Despite falling off the pace in the title race, the Gunners’ fanbase remains one of the most committed, tallying yet another 99% score.
Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at moc.l1736016387labto1736016387ofdlr1736016387owedi1736016387sni@g1736016387niwe.1736016387yrrah1736016387