Survey reveals football fans’ expectations for the Premier League 2023-24 season
Over the past century, the Premier League has become one of the most prestigious football leagues in the world. With the 2023-24 season starting on the 11th of August, excitement is building and everyone seems to have a favourite.
In fact, most Britons have an opinion when it comes to football and the team at SportingPedia decided to ask fans about their expectations for the new season. The questions in our online survey centred on the top teams of the English football system, as well as on fans’ favourite clubs and players.
Methodology
The survey was conducted online between the 24th and 26th of July and included 1,087 individuals from the UK who defined themselves as ‘football fans’. No data was collected on their age, sex, or the club they support. Respondents were asked multiple-choice, single-answer questions where they had to choose only one answer from the options provided.
Survey
Most Football Fans Are Optimistic about Their Favourite Club for the 2023-24 Season
We listed all 20 clubs taking part in the Premier League and asked respondents to say if they are either ‘happy’ or ‘unhappy’ with the team they support. The other question was about their opinion on the team’s performance for the upcoming season. The majority of football fans in the UK are happy with the club they support, with an average of 70% being satisfied with the team’s performance so far. Moreover, 55.5% of fans feel optimistic about the future of their favourite team in the Premier League 2023-24 season.
Unsurprisingly, an overwhelming majority of fans of the current champions, Manchester City, are happy with the team (92%) and roughly 83% are looking forward to the upcoming season. Their optimism is not unfounded, with the club expected by many, including bookmakers, to claim a fourth successive title. The most pessimistic fans are those of Tottenham Hotspur, with only 32% expecting Spurs to be particularly successful this season.
| Football Club | Are you happy with the club you are a fan of and the team’s performance in the past year? | Are you more optimistic or pessimistic about the team’s future in the upcoming football season? | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Happy | Unhappy | Optimistic | Pessimistic | |
| Arsenal | 84% | 16% | 62% | 38% |
| Aston Villa | 73% | 27% | 62% | 38% |
| Bournemouth | 49% | 51% | 38% | 62% |
| Brentford | 53% | 47% | 46% | 54% |
| Brighton & Hove Albion | 92% | 8% | 63% | 37% |
| Burnley | 76% | 24% | 57% | 43% |
| Chelsea | 65% | 35% | 48% | 52% |
| Crystal Palace | 54% | 46% | 62% | 38% |
| Everton | 35% | 65% | 43% | 57% |
| Fulham | 69% | 31% | 42% | 58% |
| Liverpool | 54% | 46% | 61% | 39% |
| Luton Town | 72% | 28% | 63% | 37% |
| Manchester City | 92% | 8% | 83% | 17% |
| Manchester United | 59% | 41% | 66% | 34% |
| Newcastle United | 93% | 7% | 78% | 22% |
| Nottingham Forest | 64% | 36% | 47% | 53% |
| Sheffield United | 81% | 19% | 64% | 36% |
| Tottenham Hotspur | 26% | 74% | 32% | 68% |
| West Ham United | 71% | 29% | 38% | 62% |
| Wolverhampton Wanderers | 65% | 35% | 54% | 46% |
Fans Predict the Next Premier League Champion
When asked about the club expected to win the trophy in the upcoming season, fans have a clear winner; Manchester City. With 43% of the vote, the club may not be an overall fan favourite, but it is certainly the one expected to claim the title. Arsenal follows with 17.8% believing it has the best chance of winning the championship, while 11.5% voted for Liverpool.
The Best Player In the Premier League According to Fans
Following Manchester City’s third consecutive title and their Norwegian star Erling Haaland’s phenomenal season, it is hardly a surprise that he was voted the best player in the Premier League in our survey. With 34.5% of the vote, Haaland is almost universally loved (or envied), and the only footballer that comes close to his popularity is Harry Kane; roughly 32% of survey respondents voted for the Tottenham striker.
The Most Disliked Players in the Premier League
Although recently named as the new club captain of Manchester United, Bruno Fernandes is not the most loved football player in the Premier League. In fact, when asked to pick the footballer they dislike the most, 52.3% of respondents chose the Portuguese footballer. Richarlison (Tottenham Hotspur) took another 17% of the vote, followed by Andy Robertson (Liverpool), who is disliked by 14.8% of survey respondents.
Only 27.3% of Football Fans Regularly Watch Matches at the Stadium
With the arrival of convenient, high-quality streaming services, watching football is not what it used to be a decade ago. Now, most people can either turn on their television or watch a live stream of the match while simultaneously being able to access statistics or place bets. Furthermore, matchday ticket prices may be, in some cases, extremely expensive, especially for those who go to matches only occasionally.
Many fans never go to the stadiums and prefer watching matches from home. When asked how they usually watch football, roughly 27.3% of survey respondents say they watch their favourite teams play at the stadium. Around 40.9% say that most of the time, they watch matches on TV, while 31.7% prefer streaming services. Of course, it could often be a combination of the three.
