March 4 – Attendances at English Premier League stadiums showcased yet another decline during Matchweek 27, with crowd capacity across the ten fixtures averaging 97.49% – a notable dip from the league’s season-long 98% average.
The downward trend, which has been creeping in since mid-February, suggests midweek kick-offs may be having an impact. Wolverhampton Wanderers became the first club all season to drop below the 90% threshold, with a combination of underwhelming performances and a Wednesday night fixture seemingly deterring fans.
Several other clubs, notably Tottenham Hotspur, Brighton and Hove Albion and Crystal Palace, also recorded below-average attendances, reinforcing the challenge of midweek scheduling.
Crystal Palace’s attendance came as a particular surprise given their strong recent form, this time marked by a convincing 4-1 victory over a usually-stubborn Aston Villa.
However, not all clubs struggled to fill their seats. West Ham United once again delivered near-perfect numbers at 99.93%, joined in the 99% club by Nottingham Forest, Manchester United, and Brentford.
Manchester United continue to draw crowds despite their inconsistent performances on the pitch, holding the largest attendance of the week at 73,827. United’s latest outing saw them scrape past Ipswich in front of a packed Old Trafford, with Andre Onana’s early error nearly costing them before Harry Maguire stepped up with a late winner.
They now have a much more comfortable 16-point buffer to the relegation zone – though there remains a lot to be desired from the former English juggernaut.
Premier League action returns for one final round of fixtures this weekend before players depart for the first international break of 2025. The competition will then resume in April as Liverpool charge towards the title.
Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at moc.l1741111634labto1741111634ofdlr1741111634owedi1741111634sni@g1741111634niwe.1741111634yrrah1741111634