November 11: Premier League fans continue to fill the seats, even as some of the teams in front of them begin to unravel.
Matchweek 10 brought 414,471 supporters across the ten games, leaving just 6,945 empty seats and producing an average occupancy of 98.29%.
Each land was 95% cleared, while three exceeded 99%. The numbers are steady even though football is becoming anything but. Nowhere was this contrast clearer than at Old Trafford.
Manchester United drew 74,149 at Old Trafford, with a 99.03% completion rate despite their relegation form, and then scored eight goals, four defensive concessions and another afternoon that did little to resolve Michael Carrick’s future.
United twice came back from two goals down to draw 4-4 with Aston Villa, including two stoppage-time goals, but still went into the international break 18th on eight points and without a Premier League win since beating Ipswich in August.
Carrick’s position has only become more precarious since then. United’s footballing hierarchy are expected to recommend a change, while Mauricio Pochettino is close to a deal to take over if the club approve Carrick’s sacking. No departures had been formally announced at the time of writing.
The biggest audience percentage of the weekend came at the other end of the table.
Arsenal filled the Emirates to 99.31%, with 60,285 watching Martin Odegaard break Hull City’s resistance in a hard-fought 1-0 win.
It was Arsenal’s sixth league win by a single goal this season. Not spectacular, perhaps, but very clever from the champions, who have 27 points from their opening 10 games and have opened up a six-point gap over a frankly confused Manchester City.
City’s trip to Nottingham Forest drew 30,762 – 98.56% of the City Ground – and ended in a 3-1 defeat that made it three Premier League defeats in a row for Enzo Maresca’s side. It’s almost as if something outside is affecting them.
Seven wins from seven had made City’s start look ominous. Three defeats later and 114 charges later, they have fallen behind Brighton and are six points behind Arsenal. Forest, meanwhile, claimed their first home league win of the season and climbed to 16th in style thanks to two spectacular goals from former City youth product Liam Delap.
Brighton are the unlikely team now separating Arsenal and City.
A crowd of 31,629 saw them defeat Brentford 2-0 at the Amex, taking Fabian Hürzeler’s side to 22 points and second place heading into the break.
Everton was another packed house of the weekend. The Hill Dickinson Stadium recorded 52,395 from a capacity of 52,769 (99.29%) as David Moyes’ side came from behind to beat Coventry 3-1 and move into fifth place in the table.
Liverpool also rallied from back-to-back defeats in all competitions, winning 3-1 at Crystal Palace in front of 25,176 fans. This saw Liverpool move back up to fourth, while Palace dropped to the bottom of the table, with manager Pierre Sage set not to return after the international break.
Bournemouth’s good start continued at Ipswich. Their 2-1 win at Portman Road was a fourth straight win in the League and lifted them to seventh, with Evanilson scoring for a fifth consecutive Premier League game. The attendance of the losing team was 29,396 out of a capacity of 30,056.
Leeds recorded 36,924 at Elland Road, a 98.08% full capacity, as Noah Okafor’s late goal earned a 1-0 win over Tottenham and ended a run of five league games without a win. It was his highest participation of the season so far and he was rewarded with a much-needed win.
Fulham’s 1-1 draw with Newcastle attracted 27,367 to Craven Cottage, another 98% increase in attendance. They have historically struggled in the capacity tracking rankings but, equipped with a rebuilt riverside stand, the Cottagers are once again among the majority.
At Sunderland, 46,388 attended the 1-0 win over Chelsea, filling 95.24% of the Stadium of Light. This was the lowest percentage of the matchweek, while the result left Sunderland 19th with eight points, the same as Manchester United above them.
Ten rounds later, the assistance picture is stubbornly consistent. Meanwhile, the title race, relegation battle and managerial job security are proving much more up in the air. The Premier League returns in November, with 21 Manchester City opening the weekend against Fulham at 12.30pm.
Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at (email protected)