'China spy fiasco' and 'Ban' on Israeli fans a 'national disgrace'
Tag: aston villa
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Upcoming Premier League Fixtures and Odds – Philadelphia Sports Nation
The 2024/25 Premier League season is well underway, with all teams playing at least 8 games.
At this point, we can predict some things and attempt to map out the title race in the coming months.
With some usual suspects for the title already ahead, there are some surprises as well, to say the least.
With another weekend of football going on at the moment of writing, there are some exciting games to prepare for, both if you are a football fan and an online sports betting enthusiast.
Read on to learn more and check sports bet io for all of your wagering needs.
The Standings
At the table right now, there are some usual things everyone expected, particularly at the top. Liverpool is in front with 7 wins and 1 loss, good for 21 points. The team has scored 15 goals while allowing only 3 for the league-best goal difference of 12. Mo Salah has been impressive and proved to be the true leader of the team. Despite their best days behind them, Liverpool is still in contention and can very well end the season atop the table, trophy in hand. In second place with 20 points is the juggernaut that is Manchester City with the most stacked team in the whole of Europe. Eirling Haaland has continued his rampage in England in true Norseman fashion and leads the league with 10 goals out of the 19 City has scored. They have allowed 9, though, and have a goal difference of 10. In 8 games, they won 6, drew 2, and are yet to lose. Haaland should once again end the season as the top scorer.
PHOTO: Dom Le Roy/PexelsArsenal is third with 17 points and a dream. The elusive title has slipped from their grasp numerous times in recent seasons as they finished 2022/23 and 2023/24 as the runners-up behind Man City. This time around, they again opened the season strong and won 5, drew 2, and lost 1 game. Their goal difference is 7 as they scored 15 and allowed 8 goals. Can they get over the hump and capture the league title after so many years?
The biggest surprises of the season are Aston Villa, who is 4th with 17 points, and Nottingham Forest, who is 5th with 16th points. Both teams have been spectacular to open the season and currently hold spots that mean European football next year. If they manage to stay near the top, it would be one of those special Premiership seasons with underdog stories where players are made.
Disappointing Starts
If we are to talk about the biggest disappointments of the season, Manchester United would be at the top of that list. Currently in 12th place, they have 3 wins, 2 draws, and 3 losses in their first 8 games. This is the worst start to the season in history for the legendary team, which says a lot about the current management and coaching staff, as well as the players. What is worse, they have only scored 7 goals in the first 8 matches, a staggering underachievement, while allowing 9. Betting against Man Utd has never been so easy as this year. Chelsea is currently 7th despite great showings from their new star Cole Palmer who is second in assists with 5 and 3rd in goals with 6. Once the rest of the team catches up and rises in form, Chelsea should be in competition for one of the first four spots. They have scored 17 and allowed 10 goals and have so far won 4, drew 2, and lost 2 games. Betting on them would not be a bad idea.
PHOTO: Dom Le Roy/Pexels
PHLSportsNation
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How Aston Villa’s plan paid off to beat Bayern Munich – with a finish fit for a future king
The future King of England, William, Prince of Wales did not leave quietly into the night.
“I’ve lost my voice,” he said. “I can’t quite believe it — 42 years…”
Aston Villa supporters had started to filter out of the stadium even if no one wanted to move. Villa Park was still drinking in Jhon Duran’s magnificent finish, demonstrably a moment in time that gave the club, arguably, its greatest night in 42 years — following the European Cup final triumph against the same opposition in Bayern Munich, and with the same 1-0 scoreline.
“Villa till I die” bellowed. The flags, now famous memorabilia, were being joyously waved. Emiliano Martinez, having pulled off his own acts of heroism with time-stopping saves at the end, kissed the badge. The roars that grew in decibels as Duran’s lob sailed over Manuel Neuer were guttural and piercing. It was almost a disbelieving noise and a realisation that an astonishing goal had marked Villa’s astonishing rise under manager Unai Emery.
Prince William pumps his fists after Villa’s victory (James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images)Less than two years ago, Villa were outside the Premier League relegation zone on goal difference. Now they had just beaten Bayern in a home Champions League fixture. Emery had spoken about making memories “like that great generation did in 1982” and, under his leadership, Villa continue to break new ground. The sense of occasion was marked, but Emery had long preached Villa needed to show they belonged on the biggest stage. And they did.
“The whole night was special,” Morgan Rogers told The Athletic after. “Walking out to that atmosphere, I’ve never experienced anything like it. I’ll remember this for the rest of my life.”
“It’s the loudest I’ve ever heard Villa Park,” said Martinez to TNT Sports. “It was hurting my ears at times.”
Walk down Holte Road and you will see a newly painted mural. Emery, rightly so, is at the forefront but there is reference to the 82 triumph and Peter Withe, clad in white and the goalscorer that night in Rotterdam, his hands in the air and feet off the ground. In years to come, Duran clenching both fists and roaring will be synonymous with the second Bayern victory.
Villa Park was raucous all evening, apart from the moments leading up to Duran’s goal. Supporters, perhaps subconsciously, had started to become nervous, knowing the clock was ticking and their team could earn a draw. The only other time the atmosphere lulled was when the stadium fell quiet for the Champions League anthem before kick-off as if it gave time for every fan to absorb the grandiosity of it all. Fireworks were set off and a large Tifo hung from the Holte End. A thirty-metre banner was unfurled at the bottom of the stand and read ‘All heroes are Villans’.
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Understanding Aston Villa’s Jhon Duran – ‘Nothing he was given was free’
Duran has been described as “a bit nuts” by team-mates, but few doubt his immense talent. His goal, his fifth as a substitute this season, was a crystallisation of all those traits, from having the sheer conviction to lob one of modern football’s most eminent goalkeepers, to having the actual skill to pull it off. He was introduced in the 70th minute after Ollie Watkins’ running battle with Dayot Upamecano and Emery recognised that Duran’s pace, power and natural dare could serve as a point of difference.
Martinez had started off the move, with Pau Torres playing a whipped left-footed pass into the channel where Duran was on the shoulder of Upamecano.
WHAT HAVE WE JUST WITNESSED 🔥
Has Jhon Durán just delivered the moment of the night?! 😮💨
📺 Watch @tntsports and @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/laAj5FwErX
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) October 2, 2024
SUPER-SUB JHON DURÁN PUTS VILLA AHEAD AGAINST BAYERN FROM DISTANCE 🔥 pic.twitter.com/Dn53Tsg55Y
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) October 2, 2024
Curiously, just as the teams came out for the second half, Villa’s individual performance coach, Antonio Rodriguez Saravia, was deep in conversation with Watkins and motioned the precise move that Duran would end up making.
Saravia tapped Watkins to get his full attention before giving an example of a curved run, from right to left, arching his body as if he was sprinting on the outside of a central defender.
Duran had little time to set himself, but went for it anyway. The Colombia striker told U.S. broadcaster CBS Sports after that he did not see Neuer off his line, a sign of his instinctive nature or recalling some of the observations made to him in the morning’s analysis sessions.
“Jhon’s been on fire,” Martinez told TNT. “He’s a super sub. With his first touch, he lobbed Neuer, one of the best keepers in history. We know Neuer plays high and we watched a lot of movies with the manager — an hour and a half this morning.”
Martinez blew kisses to Villa fans after his late heroics (Michael Steele/Getty Images)“In the analysis, we were speaking about the positioning of Neuer — always high,” said Emery. “I spoke to my assistant coaches about how he (Duran) shoots. Because he had in his mind this possibility. He scored a goal similar last year against Hibernian. Pau Torres made a similar pass and at that moment, he drove at the keeper and shot. This time, he just shot.”
A day earlier, Bayern coach Vincent Kompany was asked about Villa’s key strengths. Kompany identified their compact defensive structure and threat on transition.
Rogers was a threat on the counter throughout (Michael Steele/Getty Images)It was therefore peculiar that Bayern seemed happy to allow Watkins and then Duran a constant one-v-one battle against Upamecano and push so many players into high areas. Villa knew they would have limited possession but were content to stay in shape, closing the distances between the lines and, upon regains, make a couple of short, quick passes before driving into the oceans of space left on transition.
“We knew they were going to have more of the ball so it was about trying to hit them on the counter,” Rogers said to TNT. “It was about allowing them to have the ball in certain areas but when it’s in midfield we had to be at it.”
The only surprise in Villa’s lineup was Jaden Philogene coming in for his first start since rejoining this summer. Players had trained at 5pm the previous evening but most were not told the team until the afternoon of the game, with some excitedly calling family and agents. But given the magnitude of the task, Philogene, who was playing for Hull City in the Championship last season, was told early.
“I found out I was starting yesterday,” he said. “Leon Bailey got injured in training and he (Emery) pulled me into the office. He asked how I was feeling. I said, ‘Yeah, I feel fine’ and he said, ‘Good, because you’re starting tomorrow’. There were no nerves. I just wanted to play football. Unai just told me to play my game and gave me instructions.”
Villa’s analysis sessions are exhaustive and often long. They are admittedly tedious, yet the breadth of detail Emery imparts on his players requires full concentration and buy-in. Duran’s finish was an example of why players remain so enamoured of Emery — because there is continuous evidence his coaching and analysis bring success.
“There were two meetings today. We are used to it. That’s why we win games,” Rogers said. “We go through everything. We know what every player’s traits are.”
“He’s very demanding, focused and knows what he wants,” said Watkins. “You hear about professionals putting in hard work and doing extras, but it’s the same for him. He arrives early and leaves late.”
The explosion of noise that met Duran’s finish and then at the final whistle was a spine-tingling sound that will stick with Villa supporters. A night and a goal fitting of Villa’s extraordinary transformation.
(Top photo: Duran and Lucas Digne celebrate against Bayern. David Davies/PA Images via Getty Images)
The New York Times
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‘Bleak’, ‘Gutting’, ‘Disastrous’: What was your Premier League club’s worst transfer window and why?
When transfer windows go right, they can set a manager and a team up for a successful season or kick off a new era.
When they go wrong, however, they can go very wrong.
From the early departures of managers after a disappointing summer to relegations or even financial turmoil, a disappointing transfer window can prove disastrous for clubs.
Having already brought you our selection of the best transfer windows for each club last week, now it’s time to look at those that didn’t quite work out so well.
Get the latest transfer news on The Athletic¬
Worst window: Summer 2015
If there was a window to sum up the frustrations with Arsenal’s passivity in the market it was summer 2015, when their only signing was a 33-year-old goalkeeper.
Though that goalkeeper was Petr Cech — who later kept 16 clean sheets to win the Golden Glove — the 2015-16 campaign was one of opportunity. Arsenal’s traditional rivals faltered and they finished second, 10 points behind Leicester City and there has always been a thought of ‘what if’ had they invested in even one outfield player that summer.
A close runner-up is the summer window of 2011. Cesc Fabregas, Samir Nasri and Gael Clichy — all entering their mid-20s — left despite being vital parts of Arsene Wenger’s side. Arsenal then signed Gervinho and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, and although their deadline-day dash brought Mikel Arteta and Per Mertesacker, it was a scattergun end to a gutting summer.
Art de Roché
Should Arsenal have gone stronger in summer 2015? (Ian Kington/AFP via Getty Images)
Worst window: Summer 2015
The summer of 2015 was when everything went wrong. The season started — and basically ended — in Bournemouth on the opening day, where new signing Rudy Gestede scored the only goal to give Villa three points and the only sense of optimism in an altogether horrendous campaign, finishing rank bottom with 17 points.
That opening-day win served as a false dawn, with Micah Richards captain and one of 12 new signings that joined. Gestede came and went, the three Jordans — Ayew, Veretout and Amavi — became annoyingly good once they left Villa, as did a young Adama Traore.
Scott Sinclair was already on the slide and Joleon Lescott’s time at Villa would be known for his apparent accidental tweeting of a new car immediately after relegation was sealed. Idrissa Gueye was the only solid buy. A bleak summer.
Jacob Tanswell
Worst window: Summer 2022
Bournemouth’s hit rate since their first promotion to the Premier League in 2015 has been good, based on recruiting unearthed gems and, recently, young talent from abroad.
Still, Scott Parker’s brief top-flight stay in 2022 was littered with in-fighting and squabbles over recruitment, exacerbated by the ownership flux, with incoming owner Bill Foley waiting to be rubber-stamped.
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It meant Parker had what he viewed as little support in the market, claiming his side were “under-equipped”. Goalkeeper Neto and midfielder Joe Rothwell signed for free, while resources stretched to sign Marcus Tavernier and Marcos Senesi — two good players who are flourishing under Andoni Iraola, but not who Parker wanted.
Jacob Tanswell
Worst window: Summer 2022
Fans thought the 2020 window had been a disaster after Brentford lost the Championship play-off final to their west London rivals Fulham and then sold Ollie Watkins and Said Benrahma. But Ivan Toney and Vitaly Janelt arrived and Brentford finished the season by winning the play-offs so it looks far better in hindsight.
The reverse logic could be applied to 2022. Keane Lewis-Potter, Aaron Hickey and Mikkel Damsgaard were signed for around £45million ($58.1m at today’s conversion rates) combined but injuries and dips in form mean they have not shown their best. Thomas Strakosha arrived as competition for David Raya but left after two years having made more appearances for Albania (12) than Brentford during that time (six). Ben Mee joined for free but Christian Eriksen turned down a contract to join Manchester United.
It may be too soon to definitively call this their worst window in history but it certainly stands out as being below par by Brentford’s lofty standards over the last decade.
Jay Harris
Worst window: January 2018
Brighton’s business has not always been as good as it has been in the majority of recent windows.
The outcomes were sketchy when they were still finding their feet as a Premier League club after promotion in 2017.
In January 2018, they splashed out around £14million on Jurgen Locadia, a club-record outlay at that time. The forward proved a big disappointment, playing only 46 games and scoring six goals. Brighton make big annual profits now, but they were still incurring substantial losses back then, so it was a costly mistake.
Jurgen Locadia was a club-record signing at the time (Steve Bardens/Getty Images)The same was true of Alireza Jahanbakhsh in the summer of 2018 for £17million from AZ Alkmaar, but fans still fondly recall the Iran winger’s overhead kick against Chelsea. Also, his arrival was accompanied by Yves Bissouma and Jason Steele.
Andy Naylor
Chelsea
Worst window: Summer 2017
The disastrous summer of 2017 still sparks shudders in Chelsea supporters.
Fresh from winning the Premier League title, Antonio Conte felt he had earned a big voice in Chelsea’s recruitment. He submitted a list of high-profile targets that included Romelu Lukaku, Virgil van Dijk, Alex Sandro, Radja Nainggolan and Kyle Walker.
Chelsea tried to bring Lukaku back from Everton but were outflanked by Jose Mourinho and Manchester United, before pivoting to Alvaro Morata of Real Madrid. Conte also had to settle for Davide Zappacosta (Torino), Tiemoue Bakayoko (Monaco) and Danny Drinkwater (Leicester City), with the latter pair becoming liabilities long before they were released as free agents.
Danny Drinkwater was among Chelsea’s 2017 signings (Ben Stansall/AFP via Getty Images)The sale of Nemanja Matic to United for £40million aged well but deprived Conte of vital midfield experience. The club also took a loss on sending Juan Cuadrado back to Serie A and sold Nathan Ake to Bournemouth for £20million — much less than his peak transfer value.
Liam Twomey
Worst window: Summer 2017
A memorable window for all the wrong reasons with Palace’s new manager Frank de Boer sacked 10 days after it closed, just four games into the Premier League season — all of which his team lost, all without scoring.
Mamadou Sakho joined from Liverpool for £26million after an excellent loan spell in the second half of 2016-17 but was unable to reach those same levels again. Jairo Riedewald arrived from Ajax for £8m, and although he proved to be an excellent mentor for the club’s younger players, his contribution on the pitch was limited. He did, however, spend seven seasons at Palace covering various positions and made 106 appearances in all competitions.
Midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek impressed to such an extent on a season’s loan from Chelsea that he made the England squad for the following summer’s World Cup, but Timothy Fosu-Mensah struggled at right-back after being loaned from Manchester United.
The squad had been insufficiently strengthened in this window but De Boer’s replacement Roy Hodgson was still able to guide them to an 11th-place finish.
Matt Woosnam
Everton
Worst window: Summer 2017
There is an obvious answer here for anyone who follows Everton; one that shines a light on the glaring dysfunction of the Farhad Moshiri years.
Let’s go back to the summer of 2017 and the arrival of not one, not two… not even three… but four No 10s in the form of Wayne Rooney, Gylfi Sigurdsson, Davy Klaassen and Nikola Vlasic.
Mad, right? Well, that’s what happens when so many different people are feeding into the recruitment process — owners, board members, managers and other staff — and each one gets a pick. The bizarre splurge left Ronald Koeman’s side lacking balance — particularly out wide — and also led to financial problems later on.
A case study on how not to do your recruitment.
Patrick Boyland
Davy Klaassen failed to impress (Alex Livesey/Getty Images)
Fulham
Worst window: Summer 2012
There have been some bad windows at Craven Cottage in recent years.
The summer of 2015 did bring Tim Ream, Tom Cairney and Ryan Fredericks, but it also brought nine other new players, the most notable of which was Jamie O’Hara. January 2014, meanwhile, saw a record fee spent on a striker, Kostas Mitroglou, who would play only 151 minutes (three appearances, zero goals) in the club’s unsuccessful fight against relegation.
But the winner here is the one at the start of the 2012-13 season.
It set in motion a tricky decade, as Fulham sold Clint Dempsey and Mousa Dembele, their crown jewels at that time, to Tottenham Hotspur and their only signing that paid off was Dimitar Berbatov. The Bulgarian striker was a popular addition, but on his own couldn’t stem the tide.
This window marked the start of a downward spiral which would end in relegation the following season, and then four years in the Championship.
Peter Rutzler
Worst window: Summer 2020
Both of Ipswich’s summer windows pre-relegation featured costly mistakes: in 2001, destabilising a unified squad, and in 2018, replacing Championship players on the cheap with those of predominantly League One quality.
But for the sheer volume of underwhelming signings, the 2020 summer transfer window takes it.
After ending the previous season 11th in League One — the club’s lowest finish since 1953 — just three permanent signings were made. David Cornell, Oliver Hawkins and Stephen Ward on free transfers in a feeble attempt to escape the third tier.
Only Ward became a regular and striker Hawkins managed just a single goal. All three left the club after one season.
Ali Rampling
Leicester City
Worst window: Summer 2021
After just missing out on Champions League qualification in the previous two seasons, Leicester were looking to push to the next level as 2021-22 approached.
The business they did that summer may not have set the wheels in motion for a decline which brought relegation less than two years later, but it certainly was a factor. A total of £55million went on Patson Daka, Jannik Vestergaard and Boubakary Soumare, while Ryan Bertrand joined on a free.
Besides a few promising moments, striker Daka has not had the impact expected, and midfielder Soumare has also been a disappointment. Denmark international centre-back Vestergaard looked at first to be a disaster of a signing until his performances in the Championship last season earned him a new contract. Champions League winner and former England international Bertrand’s spell at Leicester was a mishap, due mostly to injuries, and he retired this summer aged 34.
The reality for clubs of Leicester’s stature is they must be prudent in recruitment and reinvest after selling a major asset. They cannot afford to get it wrong.
In summer 2021, when they didn’t sell a major asset, that’s exactly what happened.
Rob Tanner
Worst window: Summer 2010
Rewind 14 years to the 2010-11 pre-season, and Liverpool were in a mess. Rafael Benitez’s reign had just ended, debts were piling up under the hated ownership of Tom Hicks and George Gillett, and fan protests were gathering pace.
Liverpool appointed Roy Hodgson as manager at the start of July and, with money tight, what followed proved to be a dreadful transfer window.
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The hype that surrounded signing Joe Cole on a free transfer from Chelsea proved misplaced, as the England midfielder flopped badly. Milan Jovanovic was another free-agent arrival that summer who ended up costing Liverpool a fortune in wages.
The names Christian Poulsen (£4.5million from Juventus) and Paul Konchesky (a reported £3.5m from Fulham) still send a shiver down a Kopite’s spine as they struggled badly and looked completely out of their depth.
Raul Meireles (£11.5million from Porto) was the only one of the new arrivals to give the club any kind of return on their investment.
It was all too much for star midfielder Javier Mascherano as he pushed through a move to Barcelona before the deadline. You could hardly blame him.
James Pearce
Paul Konchesky was one of Liverpool’s stranger signings (Alex Livesey/Getty Images)
Worst window: Summer 2012
City famously built on their 2011-12 Premier League title by bringing in Javi Garcia, Jack Rodwell, Matija Nastasic, Scott Sinclair and Maicon.
In fairness to them, this was the same summer they also tried to sign both Robin van Persie from Arsenal, losing out to Manchester United, and Eden Hazard of Lille, who chose new European champions Chelsea instead.
City were clearly trying to put the hammer down and cement their place at the top of English football (not to mention the fact that a few months later they were pushing hard to bring in Pep Guardiola from Barcelona as manager, not long after Roberto Mancini’s finest hour).
They obviously felt the signings they did make in that window, including two young English players seen as having bags of potential, would be able to take the club forward, but none of the moves worked out and summer 2012 has gone down in history as a missed opportunity.
Sam Lee
Jack Rodwell’s move to City did not work out (Paul Thomas/Getty Images)
Manchester United
Worst window: Summer 2013
It’s the obvious answer. Sir Alex Ferguson and David Gill, the chief executive, had both departed at the end of the 2012-13 title-winning season. David Moyes had arrived from Everton as the new manager. Thiago Alcantara, Leighton Baines and Ander Herrera (who they did sign a year later) were pursued but eventually fumbled before Marouane Fellaini arrived on deadline day… for £4million more than the £23m release clause which ran out a month earlier.
A special mention to the summer(ish) window of 2020-21.
Disrupted by Covid-19 and a mere 35-day gap between completing one season and beginning another, United pushed and pushed and pushed for Borussia Dortmund’s Jadon Sancho, but to no avail. Instead, Edinson Cavani, Donny van de Beek, Alex Telles and Facundo Pellistri arrived in an assorted grab-bag.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer did well in the season that followed, with United runners-up in the Premier League and Europa League, League Cup semi-finalists and reaching the last eight of the FA Cup, but the club missed a crucial opportunity to back their manager while rivals were in a mild state of flux.
Carl Anka
Worst window: Summer 1997
John Barnes. Stuart Pearce. Ian Rush. How is that a bad window? Because this was 1997, not 1990. Barnes was 33, Pearce was 35 and Rush was 35.
Far worse windows (summer and winter windows were introduced in 2002) were to come in terms of talent, but this was the tipping point for the next two decades: the Kevin Keegan bubble had burst, replaced by Kenny Dalglish’s stultifying pragmatism. Jon Dahl Tomasson and Shay Given also arrived, but out went David Ginola and Les Ferdinand, and Alan Shearer had a long-term injury.
The boom was over, contraction taking hold, a club being deflated like a soiled airbed after a festival.
John Barnes joined Newcastle at the wrong end of the 1990s (Clive Brunskill /Allsport via Getty Images)Pearce was fine, and Barnes played in all but one of Newcastle’s Champions League matches, including the 3-2 win against Barcelona. Barnes was also Newcastle’s top scorer in the league, but with just six goals — the Entertainers had been thoroughly dismantled.
The Champions League run ended at the group stage and Newcastle finished 13th in the Premier League. Joylessness loomed. The sad cherry on top? Signing Paul Dalglish. Nice work if you can get it, which you can if your dad’s the manager.
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Andrew Hankinson
Worst window: January 2020
Before Cooper, there was Sabri Lamouchi. The old line about being able to cope with the despair but it’s the hope you can’t stand, was perfectly encapsulated for Forest fans by the 2019-20 season.
Under Lamouchi, Forest enjoyed a brilliant first half of that season. There were a few dips here and there but, by the end of January, they were not just ensconced in the unfamiliar surrounds of the play-off places, but knocking on the door of the automatics too. The first XI was good, but the thing that might have pushed them over the line was a few quality additions that January.
It would be unfair to blame the players who did arrive for the eventual collapse that would see them miss out on the play-offs in that Covid-interrupted season. But it did feel fitting that one of them, the striker Nuno da Costa, scored an own goal in the 4-1 home defeat to Stoke on the final day, which drove a stake through the already pretty dead heart of Forest’s promotion hopes.
Nick Miller
Worst window: January 2018
Six words from January 2018 that are enough to bring back nightmares: Southampton sign Guido Carrillo for £19million.
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A few years on from the dreamy days of beating Inter Milan in the Europa League and Southampton’s infamous black box seemed to be faltering. Locked in a relegation battle under Mauricio Pellegrino — remember him? (Sorry for the reminder, these were desperate times.)
Needless to say, striker Carrillo, the only arrival in that window despite the sale of Virgil van Dijk, was not the answer. He scored zero goals at a cost of £1.9million per appearance.
Nancy Froston
Tottenham
Worst window: Summer 2013
Supporters had to deal with the pain of waving goodbye to Gareth Bale in 2013 and, to make matters worse, Tottenham wasted the £85million they received from Real Madrid. Roberto Soldado scored 24 times for Valencia in La Liga during the 2012-13 season, which is more than he managed (16) across 76 appearances for Spurs in all competitions.
Erik Lamela is a cult hero but never truly fulfilled his potential following a £30million move from Roma. Paulinho lasted two years before he moved to China after barely making an impact. Nacer Chadli was a useful option from the bench but Etienne Capoue and Vlad Chiriches struggled.
Apart from Lamela, the only other signing who qualified as a success was Christian Eriksen. He spent seven distinguished years with Spurs and was part of the team that came close to winning the Champions League in 2019.
Jay Harris
Worst window: Summer 2022
In the summer of 2022, West Ham spent £165million on Gianluca Scamacca, Lucas Paqueta, Emerson Palmieri, Thilo Kehrer, Maxwel Cornet, Flynn Downes, Alphonse Areola and Nayef Aguerd — the most they had spent in a window.
But integrating eight players into the team proved difficult for manager David Moyes, which led to West Ham losing five of their first seven league games.
Scamacca and Kehrer have since joined Atalanta and Monaco respectively, Cornet has been an underwhelming signing, while West Ham are open to offers for Aguerd and Downes could rejoin Southampton having returned from his season-long loan. Only Paqueta, Palmieri and Areola have improved the side.
Roshane Thomas
Worst window: Summer 2011
It may seem difficult to beat the summer of 2022, when Wolves spent a combined £80million on Matheus Nunes, Goncalo Guedes and Nathan Collins. But at least that side avoided relegation.
Eleven years earlier came a window just as poor but with worse consequences as Wolves broke up the limited but spirited squad Mick McCarthy had built and signed the higher-profile duo of Roger Johnson and Jamie O’Hara.
It was supposed to take the club to the next level — but the next level was down. Two relegations in two seasons were the result of disturbing the dressing-room dynamic.
Steve Madeley
(Top photos: Getty Images)
The New York Times
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Fight for the Champions League’s future threatens an age of uncertainty in Europe
A love story. Florentino Perez called it a love story. Speaking to reporters on his way out of Wembley Stadium after Saturday’s Champions League final, the Real Madrid president sounded like a man in thrall to the mystique, the allure and the romance of a relationship that has spanned seven decades and so many special times.
“It’s a magnificent night, because this competition is the one we like the most,” Perez said after Madrid, 2-0 winners over Borussia Dortmund, were crowned European champions for the 15th time. “It was created by Santiago Bernabeu (the club’s president from 1943 to 1978) along with L’Equipe newspaper, and it made us important in the world. Some (clubs) leave and others come, but this competition is very much ours.”
There is a beautiful story there: the all-conquering Madrid team that won the first five European Cups from 1956-60, inspired by Paco Gento, Alfredo Di Stefano and Ferenc Puskas; a sixth title in 1966, and then an unthinkable 32-year wait before three more around the turn of the century, won by a team illuminated by the homegrown Raul Gonzalez and embellished by the arrivals of Luis Figo and Zinedine Zidane before the Perez-driven galacticos project lost its way; their re-emergence over the past decade with a side initially built around Cristiano Ronaldo and other A-list talents, but now extensively rebuilt around the young talent of Vinicius Junior, Rodrigo, Jude Bellingham and, coming soon, a bona fide galactico in Kylian Mbappe.
No club have contributed more to the game’s growth in the European Cup era. Equally, no club have grown more with the game. It is, on one level, a beautiful relationship, particularly when they are led by coaches such as Carlo Ancelotti and Zidane, whose personal history with the competition dates back to their illustrious playing careers.
Perez wants to overhaul a tournament Madrid have dominated (Angel Martinez/Real Madrid via Getty Images)But it is a strange kind of love story when Perez appears intent on killing the Champions League as we know it.
He has the European football landscape he dreamed of — a vast and enormously lucrative competition, so elitist that it now attracts talk of fairytales if the second-biggest club in Germany make it to the final — but it is still not enough. Nothing will ever be enough.
One way or another, European football is approaching a tipping point.
It has felt that way for several years now, as if the unprecedented financial advantages enjoyed by the biggest, richest, most powerful clubs in the biggest, richest, most powerful leagues just aren’t enough anymore.
Perez wants the European Cup to be replaced by a Super League. Why? “We are doing this to save football at this critical moment,” he told Spanish television show El Chiringuito around the time of the failed Super League launch in the spring of 2021. “If we continue with the Champions League, there is less and less interest, and then it’s over. The new format which starts in 2024 is absurd. In 2024, we are all dead.”
And now here we are in 2024. Perez is still pushing the Super League project, emboldened and encouraged by the outcome of the latest court case in Spain, and continuing to wage war on UEFA, the game’s governing body on this continent, which he has accused of running a “monopoly” on European football.
UEFA, for its part, has responded to the constant demands for more matches by introducing a new Champions League format from next season: the so-called “Swiss model”, where 36 teams will play eight games each, not in a group format but in a notional 36-team “league” from which 24 of them progress to the knockout phase. This is what Perez has described as “absurd”. And he might well be right.
It sounds… bloated, convoluted, unwieldy, all the things that European competition should not be. It looks like a forlorn, misguided attempt to go with the flow when what the game really needed was for UEFA to do the impossible by stemming and reversing the tide.
It is designed to placate the demands of the biggest, richest, most powerful clubs.
Some of us would say UEFA has acceded far too much over the past two decades in particular, creating a financial model that has created a chronic competitive imbalance between leagues and within leagues. Perez and others have already concluded next season’s reforms don’t go anything like far enough.
Sitting at Wembley on Saturday evening, soaking up the atmosphere created by their supporters, it felt like something of a throwback to see Dortmund in the final again. If it felt that way the previous time they got there, in 2013, when Jurgen Klopp characterised them as a “workers’ club” against a commercial juggernaut in fellow German side Bayern Munich, it certainly felt that way when they played Real Madrid in this season’s showpiece.
It was similar when Inter Milan reached the final against Manchester City last season. Inter have won the European Cup as many times (three) as Manchester United and indeed they have won it more recently, but they too seem to have been left behind in the modern era. The latter stages of the Champions League felt like their natural habitat in the 2000s. By 2023, reaching the semi-finals, never mind the final, seemed extraordinary.
And that is Dortmund and Inter — never mind other former giants such as Benfica, Porto and Ajax (to say nothing of Celtic, Red Star Belgrade and the rest). The 21st-century financial landscape has put these clubs far beyond most of their domestic rivals but unable to compete financially with even mid-ranking Premier League clubs, let alone the Champions League elite.
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What comes next for Borussia Dortmund?
The European game is at such a strange point in its history.
The football itself is frequently enthralling, highly technical and played at an astonishing speed, but the structure of the sport’s European model feels increasingly broken: by greed, by entitlement, by the biggest clubs demanding an ever greater share of revenue and ever more protection against underperformance. Attempts to preserve wild-card places for underperforming big clubs have so far been resisted, but that is clearly the direction of travel.
Dortmund reaching the final feels almost like a fairytale in the modern game (Alex Pantling/Getty Images)UEFA’s solution, as always, is to give the elite more of what they want — but not enough to please most of them. The solution proposed by Perez and others is for the most powerful clubs to wrestle power from UEFA and to be allowed to do as they please.
“To fix a problem, you have to first recognise that you have a problem,” Perez said in 2021, before making clear his belief that European football’s issue was not dubious ownership models, nor the spread of multi-club networks, a bulging fixture calendar or a chronic financial and competitive imbalance across the continent. The only problem he was interested in was the one that could be solved by “top-level games year-round, with the best players competing”.
But Perez doesn’t necessarily mean “top-level games” between the best teams of the day. He wants the most marketable matches.
If he feels short-changed by a Champions League campaign in which Madrid faced Napoli, Braga, Union Berlin, RB Leipzig, City, Bayern and Dortmund, you suspect he would be happier to have played Juventus and Liverpool (who didn’t qualify), Manchester United (who were knocked out in the group stage) and Barcelona (beaten in the quarter-finals).
Provided his team still ended up winning, of course.
Two great contradictions arise from the past decade of European competition.
The first, much discussed elsewhere and not greatly relevant to this article, is that this period of Madrid domination, unprecedented in the Champions League era, has felt strange as far as the quality of their performances is concerned.
It is undoubtedly strange that they have come to dominate an era while rarely dominating their matches against top-class opponents. It must leave Pep Guardiola wondering how on earth, beyond the small margins of knockout football, his City side have just one European Cup to show for their sustained excellence over the past seven seasons.
The second contradiction — perhaps linked to the first, perhaps not — is that, in an era when the biggest clubs have enjoyed access to revenue streams that were previously beyond their wildest dreams, several of them have lost their way due to serious mismanagement.
Barcelona, Madrid’s fiercest rivals, have flirted with financial calamity and have reached the Champions League semi-finals just once in the past eight seasons; Manchester United have reached just two quarter-finals in the past 13 seasons under the Glazer family’s miserable, directionless ownership; Juventus reached the final in 2015 and 2017 while in the midst of winning nine consecutive Serie A titles, but they have fallen away from the top tier of European football as ownership and management issues escalated.
It is almost as if some of these ownership regimes became so fixated on driving up revenue streams and reimagining European football’s future that they lost sight of their own club’s present.
That is not an accusation that could be levelled at the Perez regime.
Obsessed as he might be by his Super League dream and his power struggle with UEFA, he has overseen Madrid’s evolution into a club that plays the transfer market shrewdly, always looking for the next big talents in world football (Vinicius Jr, Rodrigo, Bellingham, incoming Brazilian teenager Endrick) and always respecting experience and knowledge while recognising when it is right to let a fading A-list talent grow old at another club’s expense.
Barcelona and Manchester United, from a broadly similar financial position, have spent enormous sums of money in a wildly erratic manner and allowed dysfunction to take hold. By contrast, Madrid have established a clear vision, made good appointments and built a winning environment.
They have also without question ridden their luck at times in the Champions League. That needs to be emphasised: both the luck they have had in some of their winning campaigns (not least the last two) and the assurance Ancelotti and his players have shown in being able to ride it. In some of the individual success stories — Ancelotti, Nacho, Dani Carvajal, Toni Kroos, Vinicius Jr, Bellingham — there is so much to like.
The most uplifting stories of the past few seasons in European football, though, have come away from the Champions League’s spotlight, with Europa League final successes for Villarreal, Eintracht Frankfurt, Sevilla and Atalanta, as well as the success of the initially derided third-tier Conference League, which Roma, West Ham United and Olympiacos have won in its first three years.
The joy in those celebrations, particularly after Olympiacos beat Fiorentina in the Conference League final last week, was truly something to behold.
It has shown there is still life and ambition among those clubs who have been conditioned to accept their place in the game’s 21st-century order and be grateful for whatever crumbs might fall from the top table.
Former Juventus chairman Andrea Agnelli once infamously asked whether Atalanta truly merited a place in the Champions League while on their way to a third consecutive third-placed finish in Serie A. When it comes to outperforming expectations and resources over recent seasons, few clubs in Europe have been more deserving.
Surely that is the lesson for European football to draw from the past decade: that, in 2024, there still has to be such a thing as upward mobility, that a club like Olympiacos can win a European trophy, that clubs like Atalanta, Bologna and Aston Villa can still reach the Champions League, that a club like Bayer Leverkusen can break Bayern’s monopoly of the Bundesliga. In an era when hope has been crushed — when Bayern have been able to sleepwalk their way to some of their 11 consecutive Bundesliga titles, often sacking coaches as they go — Leverkusen’s success under Xabi Alonso has been particularly inspiring.
Olympiacos fans celebrated their own European triumph in huge numbers (Giorgos Arapekos/NurPhoto via Getty Images)But such love stories rarely seem to endure these days. It seems inevitable that, before long, Leverkusen will fall prey to those clubs higher up the food chain, seeing their best players whisked away, just as Klopp’s Dortmund team did, just like the Monaco team of 2016-17 or the Ajax of 2018-19 did. Maybe their manager, too.
And at the very top of that food chain are Madrid, the sport’s apex predator, now champions of Europe for a 15th time, somehow re-establishing their dominance in an era when they felt threatened like never before.
Leaving the stadium after Saturday’s final, it was hard to escape the feeling that European football, having allowed its problems to pile up over a long period of time, is entering a period of uncertainty and seismic change.
This convoluted “Swiss format” will be the most inescapable change in next season’s Champions League, but, whether it has the desired effect or not, you can imagine the Super League mob clinging to its success or failure as irrefutable evidence of the need for radical reform.
The game needs proper leadership. It needs someone to stand up and fight for tradition, for jeopardy, for the romance that runs through the history of European competition.
Hearing his heartening words on his way out of Wembley, you might have imagined that person would be the 77-year-old president of Real Madrid, the man who talks fondly and reverently about the European Cup and his club’s enormous contribution to it.
But no, Florentino Perez has a different perspective on that relationship these days. As love stories go, it’s increasingly complicated.
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Real Madrid’s Champions League party: Speeches, cigars, Carvajal’s dad on horseback
(Top photo: Visionhaus/Getty Images)
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Premier League salary cap mailbag: Why? Who wins and loses? How would it work?
Premier League clubs this week opted to push on with plans for a hard spending limit — a de facto salary cap tied to the income of the lowest earning side in the top flight.
OK, we hear you say, but what on earth does it all really mean?
Who better to answer your questions than Matt Slater, who broke the original story? If you prefer, you can listen to Matt for free on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and the usual listening places on The Athletic FC Podcast.
Let’s dive in…
What are the real motivations for such a rule? — Adam M
Do I detect a note of suspicion, Adam?
For some, such as Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish, who has been talking about this idea longer than most, there are sincere concerns about the competitive balance of the league.
They worry that the revenues of the ‘Big Six’ — which already feels like a ‘Big Seven’ and might be a ‘Big Eight’ before long — are growing faster than the revenues of the Premier League’s middle and lower classes, and that is before you factor in the increased sums they will receive from playing more Champions League games and occasional appearances in the FIFA’s revamped Club World Cup. Financial fair play regimes that tie your ability to spend to your own revenues play into the big clubs’ advantage, which compounds with each passing year.
So, “anchoring” is an attempt to slow the big clubs down. It’s a backstop to the squad cost rule that UEFA has already introduced and the Premier League is moving towards. The two are meant to be complementary, with anchoring being the backstop — a hard cap that even the richest/most successful/most ambitious club cannot go beyond.
Follow the Champions League on The Athletic…
What is the role of the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA)? — Peyton B
Is there any chance the PFA will agree to a hard spending limit of 5x? And, if yes, what concessions would they require from the owners? — Dave D
The PFA calls itself the players’ trade union and it is, officially, the world’s oldest players’ union. But it has spent most of its history acting more like a lobby group, with a large charitable arm and growing education and healthcare sections. Unlike the North American players’ unions, it has not engaged in big disputes about profit-sharing with the clubs, the players’ employers, and it has not signed formal collective bargaining agreements with them.
Instead, there is almost a gentleman’s agreement between the leagues, on behalf of the clubs, and the PFA that the former will fund the union’s work in looking after former professionals who need new hips, providing counselling for those who need it, funding grants for second careers and backing research into conditions such as dementia.
The PFA, unsurprisingly, hates the idea of salary caps. Would you like it if a third party said your employer was not allowed to pay you over a certain level, even if that employer wanted to and could afford it?
Erling Haaland with the 2022-23 PFA Player of the Year award (PFA)This is why European football’s governing body UEFA and everyone else have always had to step carefully when introducing cost controls. To avoid breaking European Union and national laws on restraint of trade, governing bodies have neeed to prove that what they are doing is justified by a legitimate aim — the sustainability of a culturally significant industry — and the proposed measure is fair, proportionate and transparent. In other words, they cannot push it too far.
So, rules that tie a club’s ability to spend to its ability to earn have, until now, been OK with lawmakers, as there is a clear link to sustainability. But linking a club’s ability to spend to someone else’s earnings? Hmmm. Debatable.
And it is almost certainly a debate the PFA will enter. As things stand, it is aware of the Premier League’s anchoring proposal and some preliminary conversations have taken place, but it is adamant that a proper consultation on the matter, at the relevant body, has not started.
The body in question is the ‘Professional Football Negotiating and Consultative Committee’, which is comprised of members from the PFA, the English Football League, the English Football Association and the Premier League. It is where all matters relating to employment in the game are discussed. If its members cannot agree, the dispute goes to independent arbitration. And there has been a lot of that in football of late.
Which clubs will benefit the most and the least from this? The clubs that objected to this seem very different, so it’s hard to tell — Andrew R
Good question!
Crystal Palace chairman Parish clearly believes it will help his team continue to compete in the Premier League. Anything, even something as loose as the proposed 5x anchoring cap, will help Palace put out a competitive team every week in the Premier League.
And every other team in Palace’s tax bracket seems to agree. For them, letting Manchester City and the rest spend 70 per cent of their ever-growing total revenues on their squads will destroy what is left of the jeopardy when City meets a team from the league’s lower half.
But the other big potential beneficiaries of anchoring are those clubs directly competing with Manchester City right now, and worried about the rising threat of Newcastle United. They want to tie their rivals to a more transparent cost-control mechanism. So, this would explain the support from Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur.
Manchester United would ordinarily be in that gang but their new increasingly de-facto owner INEOS is concerned about anchoring slowing down its ability to perform the radical surgery United’s squad requires. So, their opposition is more tactical than strategic.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe, part-owner of Manchester United (right), with Sir Dave Brailsford (Robin Jones/Getty Images)Aston Villa’s opposition to the idea is interesting as it reveals just how ambitious their billionaire owners Wes Edens and Nassef Sawiris are for the club. In the past, Villa would have been in favour of something that constrains the league’s elite. Now, they see themselves as potential aristocrats.
And Chelsea, well, they abstained probably because they realised a vote against the idea was not going to stop it from proceeding to the next stage in the consultation and legal process, so there was no point voting against it. But, equally, they could hardly back a rule that they are probably the only club to be in immediate danger of breaching. So, they did neither and abstained.
Will the players not just go to a league without a cap? — Darragh N
All of them, Darragh? And where? Which league pays average salaries anywhere near as high as the Premier League?
I understand the concern, and it will be voiced as a reason not to do this by those who hate the idea. I just do not think it is very likely.
According to the most recent data from UEFA, 10 of the top 20 wage bills in European football are in the Premier League. No other league has more than three representatives.
The two biggest wage bills in Europe, and therefore global football, are at Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, but they can only field 11 players at a time, and both are trying to trim their wage bills, with Barca badly needing to stop their slide towards bankruptcy and PSG moving towards a more sustainable model.
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Who is the best-paid player at every Premier League club?
Nothing lasts forever, of course, but there is no evidence of any short- or medium-term threat to the Premier League’s status as the richest domestic league in global football.
Could the Saudi Pro League be the threat? It might, one day, but I would argue there is just as much chance of the SPL going the same way as the Chinese Super League in a decade as there is of it becoming a genuine challenger to the Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga and other major leagues.
If I were in charge of the Premier League, I would be more worried about Major League Soccer but, as we know, North American sports owners love cost controls, so I cannot imagine them getting into an arms race for players with the Premier League, particularly as half of those owners are likely to own Premier League teams, too.
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It’s a controversial topic, but does taking a Premier League game to the U.S. make sense?
How punitive are these rules on the richer clubs? A circa £500m limit on spending is hardly forcing teams to scratch around the bargain bin — Tom N
I think you have answered your own question, Tom. And the answer is… not very! Not yet, anyway.
We have estimated each club’s squad cost calculation for the 2022-23 season. The numbers that go into that calculation are the wages for your first-team squad players and coaching staff, your annual amortisation bill (the cost of your transfers spread across the length of their contracts) and any agents’ payments you make.
Now, some of those numbers are publicly available but we have had to make educated guesses on the biggest one, the wage bill, as clubs only publish their total wage bills — for all their staff — and not what they pay their players. However, most clubs spend about 70 per cent of their total wage bill on their players, so that is the amount that we have used.
The result is that only Chelsea spent more than five times what the Premier League’s bottom club, Southampton, received from the league in central payments. The Saints’ share of the league’s broadcast and sponsorship cash was £103.6million, which would have set a 5x cap at £518million. Chelsea’s estimated squad cost that season was £539million.
So, no, you’re right, if the only club to possibly breach the proposed anchor was Chelsea, after their wild shopping spree, this would not appear to be particularly restrictive.
Curious how it will work, timing-wise. Will they confirm the amounts available to spend the next season, once the season is over? — Courtney A
You are not the only one to be curious about the details of this, Courtney, and you ask a good question.
Whether the Premier League bases the cap on the multiple of the previous season’s bottom club’s central income or an estimate of the new season’s bottom club’s number is not clear yet. But I do not see how they can set the cap retrospectively. Clubs must know where they stand, so the cap will have to be set in advance.
I wonder if the cap should be linked to rolling three-year domestic TV rights deals.
The actual calculation is not that difficult, as most of the numbers are easy to predict. Every club receives a basic award of about £90million, with each place in the table worth a £3.1million merit payment, so the bottom club gets 1 x £3.1million and the top club 20 x £3.1m.
The only real variable is the facility fee, as that is the payment clubs receive each time they appear on live television in the UK, and it is not often the case that the team that finishes 20th is the least-picked team.
The facility fee is just over £1million a game and every team is guaranteed a minimum number of televised games. The range for facility fees in 2022-23 was £25.3million (Manchester City) to Bournemouth (£10.2m).
So, there is some variability in the exact amount your bottom club will earn but not much. The facility fees make up 25 per cent of amount clubs make from the domestic deal, which is about half of the total income. As previously mentioned, Southampton received £103.6million last season and that seems like a good benchmark for a bottom-placed team in the current broadcast rights cycle.
How will this new rule tie in with UEFA’s rules? Could you have a situation where a team spends more than £500million and wins the Premier League fairly but is not allowed to play in Europe? — Ben H
This proposal will work in tandem with UEFA’s squad cost rules and the Premier League’s version of the same concept. Think of anchoring as a backstop or a relatively distant line in the sand that nobody can cross.
Your second question is an intriguing hypothetical but does not seem very likely to me.
Even if we ignore the numbers and just pretend that there is a way for a club to emerge from the pack and win the league, while breaching UEFA’s 70 per cent threshold, do not forget that winning the league will bring a big TV merit payment, increased commercial income and the promise of at least £45million of Champions League prize money.
So, they might bust the 70 per cent limit in the year they win the Premier League, but they are unlikely to do so the following season. We have a very recent example of such a club: Leicester City. They made a record profit the year after they won the Premier League.
Finally, even if your champion still, somehow, manages to breach UEFA’s threshold, the European governing body does not like banning champions from its competitions. It has a long track record of dishing out fines, which they collect by withholding some of the prize money, and squad restrictions.
This approach is actually baked into the new squad cost rules, as UEFA has published a penalty schedule that links the size of the fine to the scale of the breach.
(Top photo: Michael Regan/Getty Images)
The New York Times
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Unai Emery and Aston Villa: Inside a stunning transformation
In the refurbished gym at Aston Villa’s training ground, players are regularly put through their paces, spend time building up their strength and flexibility and develop the team bond that is such a key part of their incredible current form.
Another regular sight in the gym has been head coach Unai Emery putting in the miles on the treadmill. But unlike most people, who listen to music or a podcast while working out, the man behind one of the biggest turnarounds in recent Premier League history uses the time to watch recordings of their upcoming opponents’ games.
He’s looking for patterns, for holes, for weaknesses for Villa to exploit.
Emery then relays his findings and key messages to the players in lengthy video analysis sessions, which have been known to run up to an hour and fifteen minutes.
John McGinn celebrates his winner against Arsenal (Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)Focusing on and improving the small details has been the underlying theme of the 13 months since Emery’s appointment, with Villa now a club transformed. Beating champions Manchester City and their title rivals Arsenal back-to-back in the space of four days this week is a period that rubber-stamps their progress.
This is how Villa turned their form and fortunes around, including how:
- Emery warned players to never make the same mistakes after previous Arsenal defeat
- He compiled a dossier on each player before joining, calling on his backroom staff to put together clips
- Players noted a transformation between training under previous boss Steven Gerrard and Emery
- The squad were pushed through pain barriers in pre-season
- A ‘best-in-class’ mentality has emerged throughout the club
- Co-owner Nassef Sawiris was recently pitchside and clapped every player off the pitch
- Emery takes training ground staff out for meals
- Villa’s overall infrastructure has been improved.
Seconds away from becoming the only manager in Villa’s 149-year history to win 15 successive home league games, Emery raised both hands in the air and outwards, cranking the crowd’s volume even higher.
It was apt that Villa crossed into unprecedented territory against Arsenal. Ten months ago, the Gunners were the previous Premier League visitors to leave the stadium with three points.
Since then, West Midlands walls have been fortified. The successive 1-0 victories inside four days over the sides to finish first (City) and second (Arsenal) in the 2022-23 Premier League and are likely to contest the title again this season — described as “the most difficult week” by Emery — were taxing, but ultimately ended in glory.
Fortress Villa Park has proven the symbol of the club’s remarkable resurgence, establishing them as one of the Premier League’s best and most effectively-run football clubs.
The improvement from the final days of predecessor Gerrard — where only goal difference kept them out of the top flight’s relegation places — is as drastic as it is exceptional, with Villa now firmly in the hunt for a Champions League spot next season and perhaps even more, with Pep Guardiola endorsing their title credentials only last week.
Emery regarded February’s 4-2 home defeat against Arsenal as a turning point. Irrespective of what he said publicly, that showdown with his old club was one he was desperate to win. So he was consequently infuriated with his side’s manner of collapse after the scores were level until the final minutes. Post-match and across several meetings, he told his players, in no uncertain terms, that such errors could not be repeated.
Emery remarked that they had kicked the ball long on too many occasions, with his defensive players continuing to clear to safety, as opposed to retaining possession and stamping their authority on the game. He preached that seizing control would lead to the concession of fewer goals. Even after the wins against City and Arsenal this week, Emery recalled that painful loss to the latter, unprompted, in his press conferences.
Emery coaches from the touchline (Eddie Keogh/Getty Images)“The players are more united with each other, this is their primary strength,” says one source close to the dressing room who, like others in this piece, spoke on the condition of anonymity to protect relationships.
That match almost 10 months ago was the last time Villa lost at home, and marked the start of a shift in mentality. Their performance against City on Wednesday was one for the ages and underlined just how far many of those same players who faced Arsenal in February have come in terms of composure, organisation and general quality.
Final preparations for City’s visit had been different to the usual routines.
Emery wanted his players to train on the morning of the game, keen to drill extra detail. The session he conducted was low-intensity, chiefly working on various patterns of play and team shape, ensuring the starting XI knew how to exploit the areas Emery’s analysis had told him City were vulnerable in.
A fluid, spinning midfield four overloaded City in central areas and provided additional passing lanes when playing out from the back. This proved essential in victory and highlighted the forensic lengths Emery and his coaching staff go to.
Before his official switch from La Liga side Villarreal late last October, Emery compiled detailed dossiers of each player from his home in Spain. He called on the backroom staff who would be joining him in England to put together footage of previous games and clips of individual players. He swiftly recognised the blindspots in the team he was inheriting from Gerrard, with defence a particular issue — Tyrone Mings, Ezri Konsa, Matty Cash and Lucas Digne were all concerns, due to the number of goals the team were conceding.
Elsewhere, Emery knew his methodology would enable specific plans for his attackers, but felt more firepower was needed. Contrary to reports regarding Moussa Diaby being his top target, Athletic Bilbao winger Nico Williams was the player Emery initially wanted.
“With Gerrard, training was just training,” says a source close to a Villa player. “But Emery is so detailed, as he was at Arsenal. He coached them (the players) and continues to coach them in every facet of football every single day, and regularly reinforces good habits on the training ground — until the point where it starts working on the pitch. The players then believe in his methods and start doing exactly what he’s asking them to do every game — confidence and belief then kick in — and this is the result.”
This included the development of first-choice centre-backs Mings and Konsa. Emery wanted both to become better on the ball and protect their zones defensively. Through detailed coaching in what Emery expected from the pair in their parts of the pitch, greater clarity and confidence have been provided.
Players noted an immediate contrast in training between Gerrard and Emery, with the content of sessions transformed overnight. It tied in with the notion that there was a completely different level of leadership between the two coaches — Emery knew exactly what he wanted, while Gerrard, in comparison, was seen to be looking for a “moment of magic” from an individual player.
Gerrard sat, a broken man, alongside assistant Gary McAllister towards the end of a 3-0 defeat away to Fulham in October last year, with neither man, realising they had reached the end at Villa, offering little direction to the players. The lack of communication became so bad that striker Ollie Watkins — usually a reserved, quiet character — took it upon himself to organise a huddle on the Craven Cottage pitch in a bid to restore some semblance of order.
By contrast, Emery is a constant presence up on the touchline, instructing his team through every passage of play. Figures close to Villa say it is a small window into his all-consuming personality, where those in his inner circle describe him as “obsessive” in wanting to extract each possible marginal gain.
In his early days at Villa, Emery would work on at Bodymoor Heath, Villa’s training ground, until as late as 10pm. His close friend, and now the club’s director of football, Damian Vidagany accompanied him and joked how their nocturnal habits would drive security staff, desperately hoping for sleep, to despair. While those hours have now slightly reduced (Emery tends to work 7am-7pm these days, but is prone to staying later to study for the next game) his intensity has not.
Emery’s exhaustive methods meant getting results quickly was important in terms of getting senior players onside. Players subsequently saw purpose in his prolonged preparations and have continued to adhere to his plans. “He’s naturally confident but he loves Emery,” said a source close to one key player. “The coach always asks him never to be afraid to play.”
The first pre-season under Emery this summer was energy-sapping. Lots of travel (including a three-game U.S. tour) with lots of warm-up matches afforded little opportunity for downtime and pushed players, in terms of physical exertion, far more than they experienced in their one pre-season under Gerrard. There were aches and pains before the final friendly away to another of Emery’s former Spanish clubs Valencia but, among players and staff, there remained total buy-in.
Pushing through physical barriers was illustrated once more in Emery opting to go with an unchanged side on Saturday, less than 72 hours after the final whistle against City. “I was thinking about changing the starting XI,” he said, “but yesterday every player said they were perfect to play.”
Emery wanted to build a best-in-class mentality throughout the club. Senior figures involved in non-related footballing matters at Villa say other aspects are having to play catch-up in matching the progress shown under Emery’s leadership. This was also reflected in Villa’s recruitment, where Emery and Vidagany made concerted efforts not to be content with signing “second-rate” players for the sake of it.
In January, Emery’s first window with the club, Villa wanted to give him the freedom to recruit and sanctioned the Spaniard’s priority target — experienced Real Betis full-back Alex Moreno. With Emery having no prior knowledge of Jhon Duran and despite Villa being far down the line towards his signing from MLS side Chicago Fire — a deal pushed by their then sporting director Johan Lange — the transfer was only finalised once he’d watched footage of the teenage forward and agreed there was potential that could be refined under his coaching.
Emery’s sacking from Arsenal in November 2019 hurt him deeply, given it was a development he did not see coming. He felt blindsided by the collapse of faith in his project after only 18 months.
Therefore, in his second crack at the Premier League, Emery intended to build a structure around him that was robust enough to withstand dips in form and, more significantly, to forge the club he joined in his image. Both he and Vidagany share the viewpoint that a settled environment is more important than having money to spend.
Co-owners Sawiris and Wes Edens were enthused by Project Emery and wanted to deliver a supportive network. And having watched him guide Villa from the relegation candidates he inherited to Europa Conference League qualifiers in less than a full season, they gave Emery greater autonomy in bringing aboard more Spanish-speaking staff, including president of football operations Monchi.
On Saturday, Emery thanked Edens and Sawiris for their contributions to Villa’s historic run of home form.
The new coach’s influence became increasingly tangible in recruitment and contracts, where he pushed a new deal for Mings, having been won over by the England international after his early reservations. It was around this time that chief executive Christian Purslow, who helped build the bulk of this talented squad, became sidelined and he left the club in the summer, after turning down the option to stay in a reduced role.
Similarly, Lange moved away from the day-to-day running of the club to assist the owners in their plans to build a multi-club stable before leaving Villa to join fellow Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur in October. Although he helped to develop Villa following his appointment in the summer of 2020, current staff are so confident in Emery’s project and their standing that Lange’s exit has not been a cause for concern.
Before Emery, neither of Edens and Sawiris attended many Villa fixtures. This changed, however, because of their extremely strong affection for him and because they see a team who are winning. After a recent match, Sawiris was pitchside and clapped every player off the pitch and during the November international break, Emery, Vidagany and Monchi attended a Milwaukee Bucks game, the NBA basketball team co-owned by Edens.
In their desire to give Emery what he wants, Edens and Sawiris’ holding company, V Sports, announced a partnership with lower-league Spanish club Real Union last month. In June, Emery and his brother, Igor, acquired a controlling stake in the club from their native Basque region, who their grandfather and father both played for. Strengthening ties improves Real Union’s footballing set-up, with Villa now in a position to share ideas, including coaching and data — something that naturally appealed to Emery.
Even though there are concerns externally as to whether Villa’s owners are giving too much power to Emery and his Spanish appointments, their unwavering view is that he will succeed and will not be leaving.
“You don’t know how lucky Aston Villa are to have these owners,” said Vidagany. “Coming from a traditional club in Spain to Aston Villa, which is self-proud and has a very big history, the owners understand. This is not easy because the interest of investors sometimes is bigger than the understanding of the club.
“What we found here are owners who are committed financially and embrace Villa’s heritage. We knew from the first moment we were not going to be Manchester City or Manchester United, but we knew that if we are professional and explain the plan, the owners will be committed to the plan.”
One of the first phone calls Emery made before joining Villa was to Vidagany, who initially came with him as his personal assistant. Vidagany is tasked with handling the aspects of management away from the training pitch, connecting multiple departments at the club and ensuring alignment throughout. After the subsequent arrival of former Sevilla colleague Monchi, he and Vidagany take care of transfer negotiations and act as sounding boards for any queries.
Vidagany is a transparent and frank communicator in his dealings with players and agents, informing them via email and in meetings if they should seek another club. This summer, he told certain players they could leave provided they came to Villa with a buyer, outlining the sort of fees the club were looking for in each case.
Emery, Vidagany and Monchi have formed a ‘triangle of power’, and are charged with making the key football-related decisions. They have a close relationship, eating breakfast together and working from a shared office that is split into three rooms. The trio travel to games together on the team coach and although Emery will not make such statements publicly, there is a belief between the club’s three main decision-makers that Villa can be contenders, even if there is a disparity in resources between them and the domestic elite.
Emery has hired several Spanish-speaking staff whom he trusts implicitly, including assistant Pako Ayestaran, who had worked in the Premier League before, under Rafa Benitez at Liverpool from 2004-07 — when they won the Champions League. Ayestaran’s appointment is being regarded as one of Emery’s shrewdest decisions, with his experience adding an alternative voice to other trusted assistants.
Ayestaran (right) has had a positive influence on Emery’s side (Nick Potts/PA Images via Getty Images)Another relied-upon staff member is goalkeeping coach Javi Garcia. While first-choice ’keeper Emiliano Martinez had a close relationship with the role’s previous occupant Neil Cutler, it is understood he is working with Garcia even more. Martinez invited Garcia to the recent Ballon D’or ceremony where he was named the world’s best goalkeeper. Garcia is open to using different technologies and data to vary training and achieve marginal gains in Martinez’s shot-stopping and distribution.
Emery likes to take staff who work at the Bodymoor Heath training ground out for lunch and dinner, which has helped to foster a spirit of unity at the team’s day-to-day home on the northern outskirts of Birmingham.
The support network away from the training pitch has also been crucial in the club providing a stable base for Emery.
Phil Roscoe, who leads the player care department, is well-liked among the squad and their families and is available to help at any hour. Sofia Allen, Villa’s player care officer, speaks multiple languages and has helped new signings from overseas settle in. Diego Carlos, for instance, knew little English when he joined from Sevilla under Gerrard in the 2022 pre-season. The Brazilian centre-back then sustained a significant injury (a ruptured Achilles tendon) in just his second appearance for the club in the August, while having to help his family settle after the move from Spain and find schools for his children. But Villa were on hand to help and subsequently eased the transition.
There is a sense among senior contacts that Villa, in regards to infrastructure, have seriously got their act together in the past year, coinciding with Emery’s arrival. The club now boast a refurbished, state-of-the-art training facility, have an operational inner-city academy complex — though it’s not yet open to the public — and are pressing ahead with plans to increase Villa Park’s 42,000 capacity to 50,000.
Such growth might have not been quite as swift if Villa had been unable to offer the level of stability given to Emery, with observers close to the situation pointing to the current dysfunction elsewhere in the Premier League at Chelsea and Manchester United.
The players were given two days off in the afterglow of their record 15th straight home league win.
That historic feat is another sign of new ground being broken and of the progress being made under Emery and throughout the club.
(Top photo: Getty Images)
The New York Times
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Why are football stadiums so expensive to build?
Manchester United and Chelsea share a problem they cannot hope to run away from. Old Trafford and Stamford Bridge might be able to narrate storied chapters of the Premier League’s history, but neither can project a compelling future.
At least not in their current states. The famous homes of Manchester United and Chelsea have become weights that threaten to hold back their owners. They are not fit for an elite long-term purpose.
The day the first bulldozers come rumbling over the horizon might not be imminent, but it has become inevitable. There is an acceptance of that reality, even from those with the onerous task of funding it all.
The Premier League’s landscape will soon be modernising elsewhere, too.
Plans are afoot for Aston Villa, Nottingham Forest, Crystal Palace and Manchester City to increase capacities with new or extended stands in the next five years, a road that Liverpool and Fulham are already walking.
Everton are in the final 12 months of a build that will soon see them call Bramley-Moore Dock their 53,000-capacity home and upsizing is also on the mind of Luton Town and Bournemouth. Newcastle United, too, are considering all options for the future of St James’ Park.
Stadium improvements are becoming more a necessity than a choice as clubs keep pace with the moves of competitors, but these grand plans are increasingly reliant on huge financial commitments.
Neither Manchester United nor Chelsea can realistically hope to transform Old Trafford or Stamford Bridge and have change left from £1billion ($1.26b), a figure that is in line with what it cost Tottenham Hotspur to deliver their new home in 2019 and also what was needed to complete a rebuild of Real Madrid’s 85,000-capacity Santiago Bernabeu stadium this year.
Everton’s stadium should come in well short of that mark, with their project forecast to cost anywhere between £550million and £760million, but that is equal to at least twice the club’s annual turnover.
Construction work at the Santiago Bernabeu (Thomas Coex/AFP via Getty Images)Not an investment for the faint of heart, nor are any of those being undertaken by Premier League rivals. Fulham’s rebuilt Riverside Stand, housing 8,650 fans when eventually complete, has already cost more than £120million, while Crystal Palace’s new 13,500-capacity Main Stand has been forecast to cost £150million.
Much has changed from the stadium construction boom around the turn of the century when teams such as Sunderland, Southampton, Leicester City and Derby County could build sizable new homes from scratch for less than £35million. Old Trafford’s North Stand, subsequently renamed after Sir Alex Ferguson, was said to have cost less than £19million when knocked up in the 1990s.
Even Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium, completed in 2006 to great acclaim, cost roughly 40 per cent of what north London rivals Tottenham needed to fund their stadium 13 years later. Brighton & Hove Albion’s slick home, meanwhile, cost less to build in 2011 than they made when selling Moises Caicedo to Chelsea for £100million this summer.
So why are these modern construction projects so much more expensive?
Inflation can account for plenty, including the sharp rises in the cost of raw materials and labour, but it is a change in expectation that sees football’s newest structures demanding huge investment.
“It’s increasingly about how much it’s going to cost and also how much revenue it can make,” says Christopher Lee, a managing director at Populous, the architecture firm with 40 years of experience in designing sports stadiums and arenas across the world, including Wembley and the Lusail Stadium, host of the 2022 World Cup final in Qatar.
“Historically, it would have been: ‘A club has £100milion, let’s go for it’. Now it’s very much about a return on the investment. If I spend X, how can I return Y?
“They are huge investments in time and money and there’s the idea now that it should be an amazing experience for supporters. It’s not just about ground capacity or how many bodies you can squeeze in. Now clubs are asking how they can genuinely compete with the high street.”
The changes driving the rising costs are clear.
“It’s the level of quality, the level of expectation,” adds Lee. “There’s inflation and, at the moment, there’s a huge peak in construction costs. But the level of aspiration and the level of finish are so different.
“The level of expectation from a general admission concourse has changed so much. Look at a build like Bolton Wanderers (finished in 1997). It’s concrete floors, breeze block walls, roller shutters from an industrial site and a couple of beer taps. Then you look at Spurs and it’s like any bar you’d find in London.
“A lot of it is aspiration and also what clubs can create. Spurs want it to be a seven-day-a-week stadium, multi-sport, multi-event where the investment is worth it.”
No longer are stadiums and stands designed as basic, empty shells just for Saturday afternoons. Now a football club’s home needs to be a driving force for revenue.
Tottenham, a club without a major trophy in 15 years, are now breathing down the necks of Manchester United as the English club with the greatest matchday turnover thanks, primarily, to the design of their 62,000-capacity stadium. As well as hosting NFL matches and major concerts by using a retractable pitch, the vast stands give fans a reason to arrive for games early and leave late.
Money made through the turnstiles has more than doubled since Spurs left White Hart Lane in 2017, with the annual gate receipts climbing from £48million to £108million. An off-field advantage given to Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City and Chelsea has now been taken back.
A new stadium, perhaps the Premier League’s best, has been as transformative for Spurs as Arsenal’s move was for them in 2006. Matchday revenue jumped from £44million in the club’s last season at Highbury to £90.6m when making a new home at the Emirates. A big outlay — reported to be just under £400million in total — but handsome dividends.
Chelsea do not hide away from the fact their turn is coming, either at a rebuilt Stamford Bridge or a site nearby. And though Old Trafford’s 74,000 capacity might still give Manchester United a head-start on rivals, the stadium’s diminishing reputation, tight seating and an infamous leaking roof ensure a rebuild must come sooner rather than later.
Populous’ architects, who were behind both the Emirates and the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, were appointed as master planners for the redevelopment of Old Trafford alongside Legends International last year. The plans drawn up are “on hold” as billionaire businessman Sir Jim Ratcliffe finalises a deal that will see him take a 25 per cent stake in Manchester United.
“We’ve done the work with Legends to look at all the feasibility options, multiple different versions of renovations of Old Trafford and also what a new build could potentially look like,” adds Lee. “All of it focused on how we can create an amazing fan experience. Manchester United are very focused on that.”
As are every club at the drawing board. For all the criticisms it has drawn for its £3,000 season tickets, Fulham’s Riverside Stand will be finished off with a hotel, health club and rooftop pool included to maximise opportunities. Palace’s rebuilt Main Stand, proposed to open in time for the 2026-27 season, is also set to include a museum, as well as an additional 8,000 seats.
Fulham’s Riverside Stand (Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)“You can make money on player transfers or commercial deals, but everything else is relatively fixed,” explains Lee. “The one big variable is how much you can make from your stadium. That’s what differentiates you as a business, to be able to go buy better players.
“The figure we always quote is at the old White Hart Lane where the spend per head was about £1.75. In the new stadium, it’s about £16. So multiply that by 50,000 general admissions and they’re pulling several million a game. It makes a big difference.”
As Manchester United, Chelsea and Newcastle United are demonstrating, these can never be considered short-term projects. Feasibility studies can take 12 months and, typically, it will take between two and three years before the design and approval process ends with a major contractor appointed. Only then can the construction begin.
Costs from that point can be shaped by all sorts of factors, including inflation, the scope of groundwork and location. Flexibility is a must, but any club embarking on a major capital project will have loosely considered the eventual price of every seat.
“There used to be a reasonable assessment on what you could build a stadium for,” says Nick Marshall, co-owner and director at KSS, the London-based architecture firm whose designs include Brighton’s Amex Stadium, Liverpool’s redeveloped Main Stand at Anfield and proposed expansions for Leicester City and Crystal Palace.
“Around 10 to 15 years ago, the aspirations of the most discerning customer were slightly lower.
“A watershed moment would probably be Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium when the expectations of the typical stadium visitor or spectator started to increase. It set a new benchmark.
“At the time, without taking inflation into account, it would cost between £2,500 and £4,000 per seat and everybody thought that was a good benchmark.
“That’s clearly not the case now. Anybody who’s aspiring to Tottenham levels of corporate hospitality in matchday usage and aspiring to be the best stadium in the world is looking at a cost of at least £10,000 a seat.”
The finishes at Tottenham’s stadium are different to those seen 20 years ago (Universal Images Group via Getty Images)And the higher you build, the greater the cost. The roof spans on the biggest builds can stretch up to 40 metres. Severfield, the Yorkshire-based steel company, has supplied 12,200 tonnes of structural steelwork that now forms the bones of Everton’s new stadium. Trusses used in the north and south stands measure 170 meters alone.
The cost of steel and concrete, in particular, has fluctuated dramatically in recent times. Steel is roughly 50 per cent more expensive than it was 10 years ago and another factor in the climbing costs.
“Certain materials have disproportionately risen because of availability and market pressures,” explains Marshall. “Historically, big countries were buying up steel and concrete and most of the concrete we pour has a big proportion of steel in it. So if steel goes up, the cost of concrete goes up because you’re producing reinforced slabs.
“The things you use most in the stadium are concrete and steel — if those go up in price, the cost of a stadium is increasing.
“Some of those costs have stabilised recently. There was limited availability of things like glass and aluminium, which are still a little bit on the expensive side. Typically, material costs have caused the price rises but that has been across the board.
“They disproportionately affect a stadium because of the amount that some of them use. Imagine trying to buy 600 or 700 tonnes of steel for a big roof. A small increase in the cost of a tonne of steel is spread very rapidly over a very large area. They can be affected by fluctuations in the market quite dramatically.”
A quarter of the budget will typically be spent on structural engineering work, but it is what can be found within that sets the modern stadiums apart.
There is an expectation on the level of finish, from hospitality lounges down to concourses. The technology and mechanical and electrical (M&E) systems can account for as much as a third of building costs. Piping, wiring, lighting, ventilation… all the things that were given minimal consideration a generation ago. There are also industry-driven upgrades to toilets, kiosks, turnstile software and disabled facilities.
“Services are quite high and there are big kitchens doing very large matchday preparation and they usually work for the week preceding the match,” adds Marshall.
“There is demand on the stadium pre-game from all the M&E kit. That is probably slightly disproportionate to what it would be in any other type of building other than, for example, hospitals or laboratories.
“The structures, M&E and foundations and all of the live safety systems are quite onerous in stadiums. Put all of that together and it’s about 60 to 70 per cent of it tied up in the things standing up and working before you put glazing on the front like the facade.”
A financial director will likely be sweating by this point. And that is before consideration is given to borrowing the money to make it all possible. A newly built stand or stadium will cost one figure, but the interest paid on debts to fund it can cause the expenditure to spiral upward.
The days when Tottenham could refinance its £637million stadium debt at 2.6 per cent are unlikely to return any time soon. Not when the Bank of England’s rate stands unmoved at 5.25 per cent, its highest mark since the 2008 financial crisis. There have certainly been better times to fund a major capital project.
Construction cranes above Liverpool’s Anfield Road End (Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
The precise numbers behind these projects will never be known, but there is no denying where the most expensive stadium builds are still consistently found. Bigger has been better in the United States, with costs regularly soaring beyond the $1billion mark.
None have been more ambitious — or expensive — than the SoFi Stadium, home of the Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers NFL teams. That reportedly cost $5.5billion when completed in 2020 and, with a 70,000 capacity, hosted the Super Bowl in 2022.
SoFi Stadium in LA (Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)Then there is the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, the MetLife Stadium, which houses the New York Jets and the New York Giants, and the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. All were enormous investments north of $1billion — but with an embedded commercial strategy.
“The U.S. has had a huge impact,” explains Lee of Populous, which includes Yankee Stadium in New York among its portfolio of projects.
“There’s sniffiness, but thinking about your fans as customers when you’re designing and operating a stadium is probably the biggest change.
“We’ve been very guilty of thinking fans will be there for life coming through the turnstiles and drinking the same crap beer.
“In America, it’s a different dynamic because professional sport offers more choice. A franchise can up and move from one side of the country to another, so there’s a level of fickleness and a need to attract a customer. A stadium has to respond to that. They’ve been driven down a route of creating the best possible experience for people coming to the stadium.
“Tottenham could never turn Arsenal fans, but their competition is now the high street. That’s what they’re up against.”
And that ultimately leads Manchester United and Chelsea back to the projects they will eventually have to sanction before their homes become handicaps.
Stadiums remain the focal point of any club, the places that will bring thousands to its doors in all weathers. But they now need to be more, a platform for growth and expansion. Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Juventus have all grasped the nettle, no matter the outlays needed.
“It’s not just about creating some bowl that’s cladded in something shiny anymore,” says Lee. “Those mid-1990s stadiums, a lot of them could be anywhere in the world. You’d have no idea.
“That’s an evolution of these buildings. They’ve gone from an industrial, civic approach to a cultural one.
“They’re buildings that have genuine relevance to their communities. Stadiums are like town halls, the hearts of communities. A club wants to create amazing experiences but revenue is increasingly important in the modern game.”
Additional reporting: Matt Woosnam
(Top photos: Getty Images)
The New York Times
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Every Premier League club’s stadium plans – from new stands to ground moves
As the Premier League gets bigger and bigger, so – it seems – do the stadiums that play host to it.
The vast majority of clubs in the top flight have either drawn up plans to expand their grounds to service the overwhelming demand or are poised to open gleaming new stands – or, in some cases, open new stadiums altogether.
Here, our experts guide you through what each club has done to their home ground and what could come next, plus how we rated each stadium in our rankings published last month.
Arsenal: Emirates Stadium
Current capacity: 60,704
What The Athletic said: “The Emirates has its critics, but it now delivers the atmosphere, facilities, accessibility and product any sports fan would expect from the Premier League.”
The Athletic ranking: 4th
When was the last redevelopment work done? Arsenal have not redeveloped Emirates Stadium in regards to size since moving from Highbury in 2006.
The most recent work done was the revamped artwork around the outside of the stadium in January 2023. The decision to redecorate was made a year earlier and was brought to life by consulting with fans before artists and specialists, such as Reuben Dangoor, Jeremy Deller and David Rudnick, were commissioned to make the artwork.
Eight panels were created in total to display the club’s international, local and historic impact across men’s, women’s and academy football.
What comes next? As things stand, no redevelopment work is planned. Alongside the new stadium artwork rolled out earlier this year, Arsenal unveiled a statue of former manager Arsene Wenger outside the Emirates.
The Frenchman, who managed the club for 22 years and won three league titles, visited the stadium ahead of the new season to see the work.
The Emirates has the fifth largest capacity in the Premier League, with three of the four larger stadiums (Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London Stadium and Anfield) either built or redeveloped after that date.
Current capacity: 42,530
What The Athletic said: “A packed-out Villa Park is a special place to be. When it gets going, there is no place quite like it.”
The Athletic ranking: 7th
When was the last redevelopment work done? Villa Park last underwent major redevelopment in the 2000-01 campaign, building a bigger Trinity Road Stand, which was built from scratch. There has been an appetite for further expansion since, with the club now closer to the desired redevelopment than they have been in over two decades.
What comes next? So this is the tricky part. The intention is to increase the capacity by 8,000, expanding Villa Park to 50,000 by 2027, the season before Euro 2028, for which it is a host stadium. This involves knocking down the North Stand completely before wrapping it into the connecting Trinity Road Stand.
Villa Park could be expanded for Euro 2028 (Michael Regan/Getty Images)However, progress has been slow and new, revised plans are expected to be released before the end of the year. Inflation has taken hold since initial plans were drawn up and other problems, such as the lack of transport and on-site parking around Villa Park, require further feasibility studies, as do changes to the proposed work outside of Villa Park, such as a ‘Box Park’-type area named ‘Villa Live’.
A stadium rebuild is likely to need an agreement with Birmingham City Council and Mayor Andy Street over talks about the redevelopment of the local train station, Witton. It will cost the council around £30million and is critical in easing the footfall around the stadium and meeting UEFA guidelines of having between 60-80 per cent of supporters attending the European Championship arriving on public transport.
There has been no agreement yet and, under time constraints at risk of not adhering to UEFA guidelines, there is a pressing need for plans to be finalised. But there are question marks as to whether the council will spend the money on the station when its budget is already stretched.
Jacob Tanswell
Current capacity: 11,307
What The Athletic said: “There’s little discernible character. The support is welcoming, but everything feels a bit temporary.”
The Athletic ranking: 20th
When was the last redevelopment work done? Despite cosmetic touches to the stadium since Bill Foley’s arrival as owner, Bournemouth’s previous redevelopment was done in 2013, two years before the club were promoted to the Premier League for the first time, with the Ted MacDougall Stand being unveiled by the man himself. Incredibly, Real Madrid took part in an exhibition match to mark the occasion.
What comes next? With Foley keen to increase revenue streams and drive the commercial value of the club, Bournemouth are assessing whether to redevelop the Vitality Stadium or build a new ground. Presently, they are looking at plans, using data, ticketing information and feasibility studies, to scope the right side for a stadium which would increase the capacity. Previously, Foley has outlined his desire for a 20,000-seater stadium.
The immediate priority is building a new training ground at Canford Magna, moving away from the temporary training pavilion adjacent to Vitality Stadium. A 3G pitch has been installed and once the complex is in operation, players will move there, with the pavilion to be used for office staff, possibly freeing up space inside the stadium for hospitality renovation. In that period, Bournemouth could look to press ahead with plans on what next to do with the current stadium.
Jacob Tanswell
Brentford: Gtech Community Stadium
Current capacity: 17,250
What The Athletic said: “It is one of the smallest grounds in the top two divisions, but none of that detracts from its charm.”
The Athletic ranking: 8th
When was the last redevelopment work done? Brentford only moved from Griffin Park to their new ground in September 2020. There have been a few minor cosmetic changes, with a new poster installed on the side, but the biggest work has been to install safe standing.
Barriers were installed on 1,700 seats in the West Stand and were tested at matches during the Women’s European Championship last year before being fully rolled out for the 2022-23 season.
What comes next? The Gtech Community Stadium is built on a tight triangular piece of land, which is sandwiched between multiple railway lines and blocks of flats. Even if Brentford wanted to increase the capacity in the future, the tight restrictions make it impossible. For now, they are more than happy in their shiny new home, which chief executive Jon Varney calls “small but perfectly formed”.
Jay Harris
The Gtech Community Stadium is tightly hemmed in (Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)Brighton & Hove Albion: Amex Stadium
Current capacity: 31,876
What The Athletic said: “Neat, well-equipped and fit for purpose, it symbolises the spirit of the club and its supporters.”
The Athletic ranking: 16th
When was the last redevelopment work done? A tunnel club opened at the start of the season, joining similar facilities at Manchester City and Tottenham.
For a total cost of just under £30,000 for a minimum of three years, members see the players in the tunnel through one-way glass in a fine dining restaurant before watching matches in luxury heated seats above the tunnel in the three-tier west stand.
What comes next? There are no plans for further major works inside the Amex, which opened in 2011. The capacity increased from 22,500 to close to the current figure a year later, with the addition of the upper tier to the two-tier east stand.
A major facelift is in the pipeline on the walkway surrounding the stadium, with plans submitted to Brighton & Hove Council for a covered fan zone, which will be available on non-match days for sports screenings, music gigs and other leisure events. The project is expected to open next season.
Meanwhile, Brighton are pressing ahead with plans to build a second stadium in the city, designed specifically for women’s football.
Andy Naylor
Burnley: Turf Moor
Current capacity: 21,744
What The Athletic said: “Burnley is a proper football town and it feels like it. But while all places get cold, it can feel particularly chilly.”
The Athletic ranking: 17th
When was the last redevelopment work done? The last addition to the stadium was the two corner stands, either side of the Jimmy McIlroy Stand, built to improve disability facilities and stadium accessibility. They were opened in 2019.
Since ALK Capital’s arrival, improving the experience at Turf Moor has been a key priority. They have added LED electronic signs inside and around the ground and revamped and upgraded the club’s hospitality areas around the ground.
What comes next? There appear to be no imminent plans for any radical changes at Turf Moor. The ground’s position, so close to a road and neighbouring Burnley Cricket Club’s ground, makes any extension a challenge and is arguably not required anyway.
The ownership group remains committed to continuing to make minor improvements and upgrades to the stadium as and when required, as what they inherited needed modernising.
The club did recently commit to implementing safe standing in an area of the ground, as they aim to find ways to improve Turf Moor’s atmosphere. Those plans are still in the early stages.
Andy Jones
Chelsea: Stamford Bridge
Current capacity: 40,173
What The Athletic said: “As each year goes by, the ground shows more signs of age, but there is no other place Chelsea fans would rather be.”
The Athletic ranking: 9th
When was the last redevelopment work done? The last significant change made was the building of a new West Stand, which opened in 2001. It seats 13,500 and is also where VIP boxes, function halls and suites are housed.
Since Chelsea were bought by the Todd Boehly-Clearlake consortium in 2022, some minor changes, mainly decorative, have been made to try to improve the fan experience.
What comes next? This is a question still to be answered. The Athletic cover the current situation in a lot more depth here and it is certainly complex.
Chelsea’s ground now ranks as only the 10th biggest club venue in England. From the moment the takeover was completed, figuring out whether to rebuild or move elsewhere has been a priority.
They spent in the region of £70m-£80m to purchase 1.2 acres of land next to Stamford Bridge from Sir Oswald Stoll Mansions, but have yet to commit to building a new ground on site.
Redeveloping Stamford Bridge will mean playing at another venue for up to five years while work is carried out. Building somewhere else is an option and going to where the former Earls Court Exhibition Centre used to be is being considered.
But last week, the company in charge of overseeing the redevelopment of the 40-acre site – Earls Court Development Company – denied that a new ground was part of their plans.
Simon Johnson
Crystal Palace: Selhurst Park
Current capacity: 25,486
What The Athletic said: “The ground’s soul is among the best in the country. There is a community warmth that can be hard to find at other London clubs.”
The Athletic ranking: 18th
When was the last redevelopment work done? Selhurst Park has not undergone major work for decades. Minor improvements have been undertaken since promotion to the Premier League in 2013 and the Main Stand had an internal refit, but there have been no substantial changes since the Holmesdale Road End was converted from terracing in 1994, while a TV gantry required upon promotion has significantly obstructed the view from the back of the Arthur Wait stand, a point not lost on visiting fans.
What comes next? The start of building work on a new 13,500-capacity Main Stand stand and improving other areas of the ground that celebrates its 100th anniversary next year has moved significantly closer after the relocation of nearby residents was completed.
The expectation is that work will commence at the end of the season and potentially open in time for the start of the 2026-27 season, but costs have already ballooned to around £150million. It is expected to be funded through a capital call of the club’s shareholders.
Matt Woosnam
The original vision of a redeveloped Selhurst Park (Crystal Palace FC)Everton: Goodison Park
Current capacity: 39,414
What The Athletic said: “The Old Lady may be a pensioner, but it is a venerable old dear, bursting with history.”
The Athletic ranking: 14th
When was the last redevelopment work done? Improvements are made to Goodison on a fairly regular basis, although the last stand to undergo a major redevelopment was the Park End in 1994. The main focus for Everton has been developing the new site at Bramley-Moore Dock.
What comes next? Everton maintain that the new stadium project is both on time and on budget, with work scheduled to be completed by the end of 2024.
A move-in date for the stadium – which has been selected as one of the host venues for Euro 2028 – has yet to be finalised, but the club is liaising with supporters on various options, including a potential opening at the start of the 2025-26 season.
Fans are still waiting to hear how the remainder of the project, which is expected to cost around £760million including ancillary works, will be funded, although Miami-based 777 Partners has committed to ensuring its completion as part of their takeover agreement with Farhad Moshiri. Last week’s Premier League points deduction for breaking profit and sustainability rules is not expected to affect the stadium plans.
Patrick Boyland
Fulham: Craven Cottage
Current capacity: 24,500
What The Athletic said: “The walk to Craven Cottage sets it apart. There is no football stadium like it.”
The Athletic ranking: 15th
When was the last redevelopment work done? The last major work undertaken at Craven Cottage was in the early 2000s when the ground was transformed into an all-seater arena in the aftermath of their top-flight promotion in 2001. Since then, there have been cosmetic changes around the ground, with small capacity increases. The most recent saw the dressing rooms expanded inside the Cottage in 2022 to accommodate the extra substitutes required in the Premier League.
What comes next? The redevelopment of the Riverside Stand has been years in the making. It was first mooted before Mohamed Al Fayed sold the club in 2013, but it has now been realised under Shahid Khan. The aim is to bring year-round revenue streams into Fulham through a four-star hotel, a members club, a health club and restaurants, bars and other amenities.
Work began in 2019 and it was originally expected to open in 2021. However, due to a range of issues, including the Covid-19 pandemic and the complexity of building on the river itself, the full re-opening has been pushed back three times. As it stands, the project is in the fit-out stage, with only 4,968 spectator seats available. Hospitality areas will open next year, with additional seating ahead of the 2024-25 season. The hotel and private members club may not open until 2025.
Once completed, the new stand will increase Craven Cottage’s capacity to 29,600. It has proven expensive for Khan, with costs over £130million. It is hoped the facilities will ensure Fulham can be run sustainably at the highest level, as well as providing a new walkway along the River Thames. In the long term, Fulham also intend to build a pier on the river. However, this remains in the pre-planning stages.
Peter Rutzler
Fulham’s Riverside Stand (Alex Davidson/Getty Images)Current capacity: 54,074
What The Athletic said: “You’ll Never Walk Alone before kick-off is one of football’s special experiences. Anfield can take you on a wild ride you may not want to end.”
The Athletic ranking: 5th
When was the last redevelopment work done? The last major development at Anfield was the redevelopment of the Main Stand, which was completed in 2016. The £100million project added a further 8,500 seats to Anfield, increasing the capacity to 54,000.
What comes next? Liverpool are in the process of completing the £80million redevelopment of the Anfield Road stand, which has been hit by delays since work began in September 2021 and will not be fully open until 2024.
The new stand will add 7,000 seats to Anfield and increase the capacity to 61,000. Initial plans were to have the stand ready for the start of the 2023-24 season, but the club announced in July that only the lower tier would be open for the first home game of the season against Bournemouth as work continued on the upper tier.
The aim was to have the upper tier open following the September international break. However, Buckingham Group, who were chosen to oversee the construction, entered administration in early September. Work on the stand stopped for a period. It caused Liverpool to delay the timeframe again from October 2023 to an unspecified date in 2024.
With tickets already sold for the upper tier, the club had to ask fans with tickets elsewhere in the ground to return them to the club if they were not planning on attending.
The process to find a new contractor was extensive, with Preston-based Rayner Rowen installed and the site is now fully functional again. The next steps are ongoing as work towards completion continues, although the stand is not set to be fully open until well into 2024, according to multiple people contacted by The Athletic. It is a significant financial blow, with Liverpool missing out on extra revenue of approximately £750,000 per match with capacity down 11,000.
Andy Jones
Luton Town: Kenilworth Road
Current capacity: 11,050
What The Athletic said: “You won’t hear an atmosphere like it. The walk into the away end through neighbouring terraced housing really is fun, too.”
The Athletic ranking: 19th
When was the last redevelopment work done? Luton Town spent around £10million to upgrade Kenilworth Road ahead of the 2023-23 season to bring it up to Premier League standards and requirements. The upgrades increased the stadium’s capacity from 10,356 – which would have made it the lowest-ever capacity in the Premier League.
The main body of renovations centred on renewing the Bobbers Stand, which houses a television gantry as well as seats for fans. The first Premier League home game against Burnley had to be postponed as works were completed.
What comes next? Power Court Stadium. Luton are saying goodbye to their home since 1905 and are hoping to commence works on a new site in the city centre next to Luton railway station, which will have an initial capacity of 19,500. A second phase of development could see 4,000 seats added.
“The next phase now is an engagement with Luton Council and key stakeholders, such as the Environment Agency and Historic England, as we take them all through our detailed design process,” chief operating officer Michael Moran said in May 2023. “We are also engaging with contractors as we finalise certain construction features, but our target for completion is 2026, regardless of the club’s league position.”
Manchester City: Etihad Stadium
Current capacity: 53,400
What The Athletic said: “It is akin to visiting a football theme park, but it may never have that final piece of intangible soul that Maine Road had.”
The Athletic ranking: 11th
When was the last redevelopment work done? City unveiled their new-look South Stand in a game against Chelsea in August 2015, an occasion also remembered for Eliaquim Mangala’s fine debut. The expansion added 6,250 seats to a new third tier, another 1,500 seats around the pitch and extra hospitality areas.
What comes next? An even more ambitious expansion that will add 5,000 seats to the North Stand is now full steam ahead. According to the club’s website, the plans include a “larger, single upper tier above the existing lower tier”, which will increase the Etihad’s capacity to over 60,000.
There will also be a covered fan area with capacity for 3,000 people as well as a new club shop, museum, office spaces and a 400-bed hotel. The hotel, which is scheduled to open in 2026, will also serve the new 23,500-capacity Co-op Live music arena, which opens close to the stadium in May.
Building on the north stand is scheduled for completion in August 2025.
Sam Lee
Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium is set to expand (Michael Regan/Getty Images)Current capacity: 74,031
What The Athletic said: “Parts look out of date and the roof is leaking, but the scale of the place is mighty and it comes with a special atmosphere.”
The Athletic ranking: 3rd
When was the last redevelopment work done? United have invested millions of pounds in small improvements in recent years, mainly on hospitality areas, disabled facilities and adding safe-standing areas. A paint job was completed in 2022 and quickly gave it a much smarter appearance. At Erik ten Hag’s request, the club built a new lounge for the club’s manager and his players to use before matches at Old Trafford from the beginning of this season, replacing a hospitality area in the Sir Bobby Charlton stand.
What comes next? United announced in April last year that they had appointed architects Populous and management firm Legends International as master planners and consultants for a revamp of Old Trafford. Several different options were assessed, including increasing Old Trafford’s capacity, building a completely new stadium next to the current one, and development centred around a new main stand.
These were presented at a fans’ advisory board meeting. Major redevelopment work, however, has remained at a standstill during United’s strategic review, which started last November. Sir Jim Ratcliffe, the British billionaire and owner of petrochemicals company INEOS, is set to purchase a 25 per cent stake in United from the Glazer family.
The Athletic detailed how Ratcliffe is prepared to commit $300million (£245m) of his personal wealth for infrastructure upgrades at Manchester United.
Dan Sheldon
Current capacity: 52,257
What The Athletic said: “It’s slap-bang in the middle of the city, looming over it, setting the mood and drawing people towards it.”
The Athletic ranking: 2nd
When was the last redevelopment work done? Aside from changes to corporate boxes, the last proper redevelopment was in 2005. Shearer’s Bar was added to the Gallowgate End, which was itself upgraded as part of an expansion throughout the 1990s, raising capacity to present levels. The Milburn Stand and Leazes End were expanded after the Gallowgate, while corporate boxes were moved from the East Stand elsewhere.
What comes next? The next phase of redevelopment will not alter the stadium itself, rather the area on Strawberry Place behind the Gallowgate. Mike Ashley sold the lease on that land, but the current owners bought it back and a fan zone, featuring bars, restaurants and big screens, is being built and is due to open within months.
An artist’s impression of Newcastle’s fan zone (Courtesy of Newcastle United)Planning permission has been granted for three years on that site but, beyond, Newcastle are exploring how to raise the capacity to 60,000-65,000. That would likely involve expansion of the Gallowgate End and East Stand, but road and Metro infrastructure, as well as listed buildings on Leazes Terrace behind the latter, make increasing capacity difficult and expensive. It will cost tens of millions and is very much a long-term aspiration rather than a confirmed plan.
However, the owners insist they want to remain at Newcastle’s historic St James’ home rather than move to a ground outside the heart of the city centre.
Nottingham Forest: City Ground
Current capacity: 30,404
What The Athletic said: “It’s in a beautiful spot at the heart of Nottingham and the home atmosphere has been rejuvenated in recent seasons.”
The Athletic ranking: 12th
When was the last redevelopment work done? The club undertook a cosmetic revamp of many areas of the City Ground over the summer.
That included a refurbishment of the dressing rooms and tunnel area and the construction of an entirely new media suite, in the area where Brian Clough’s office used to be.
What comes next? In the short term, there is a desire among the Forest hierarchy to get the capacity further above the 30,000 mark and there are early plans to use shipping containers to add roughly 500 extra seats.
The idea is inspired by one of the venues used during the Qatar World Cup, Stadium 974, which was built entirely out of shipping containers.
There are also plans in place to further improve the fan experience around the stadium.
In the longer term, Forest announced plans in February 2019 to knock down the Peter Taylor Stand and rebuild it with Champions League-standard facilities, which would take the capacity up to 35,000.
The club hope that the appointment of Tom Cartledge, a lifelong Forest fan, as chairman will help accelerate the progress of those plans. Cartledge is chief executive of Handley House Group, which includes Benoy, the firm of architects who designed the proposed development.
Paul Taylor
Current capacity: 32,050
What The Athletic said: “There can be few more intimidating atmospheres in English football. The noise lingers and swells as if stuck under the roof.”
The Athletic ranking: 13th
When was the last redevelopment work done? A general brush-up took place last summer, including a new lick of paint to smarten up the back of the South Stand. But the last tangible upgrade came in 2009 when the gap between the South Stand and the Bramall Lane Stand (where away fans are situated) was finally filled in via a new corner stand that included a hotel.
What comes next? There has been previous talk by the current owners of improving the Kop stand by removing the pillars that currently restrict the view from hundreds of seats. But United’s struggle to compete financially with the rest of the Premier League, even with the riches that accompany promotion, suggests these plans will be firmly on the back-burner until a change of ownership.
Richard Sutcliffe
Tottenham Hotspur: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
Current capacity: 62,850
What The Athletic said: “Sit inside the stadium and you soon realise its draw: an experience comparable to any live sport stadium across the world.”
The Athletic ranking: 1st
When was the last redevelopment work done? There have been no major development works since the stadium opened four years ago. There have been ongoing small improvements and the player’s lounge was refurbished at a not-inconsiderable cost in the summer of 2019.
What comes next? Spurs are always looking to improve the stadium, but it’s so young and remains the best in class in the Premier League, so there are no big plans in place for redevelopment work.
Charlie Eccleshare
The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium has become a regular NFL venue (Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)Current capacity: 62,500
What The Athletic said: “It has the feel of a big, international venue, but the pitch feels distant and so does everyone else in the stadium.”
The Athletic ranking: 10th
When was the last redevelopment work done? Ahead of the 2022-23 season, capacity at the London Stadium increased from 60,000 to 62,500 following redevelopment work in the West Stand. In April 2019, the club installed a claret carpet to surround the outside of the playing field.
What comes next? As it stands, there are no plans for redevelopment work at the London Stadium.
Roshane Thomas
Current capacity: 31,750
What The Athletic said: “A perfect balance of modern facilities and an authentic atmosphere to rival anywhere in the country.”
The Athletic ranking: 6th
When was the last redevelopment work done? The modern two-tier Stan Cullis Stand (still known locally as the North Bank) was opened in 2012, taking Molineux to its current capacity. That was the first significant rebuild since 1993, when the Jack Harris Stand (now the Sir Jack Hayward Stand) was opened, replacing the final section of old Molineux terracing.
How Wolves’ redeveloped stadium could look (Courtesy of Wolverhampton Wanderers)What comes next? Wolves have an idea of what comes next, but there is currently no clear picture of when. In 2019, Wolves owners Fosun announced their intention to increase capacity to 50,000 by replacing the Steve Bull and Sir Jack Hayward Stands in the image of the Stand Cullis Stand and filling in the ground’s open corners.
But Covid-19 and other factors meant the plans were put on hold, where they remain. Wolves have researched a range of options, but there remains no clear timescale.
Steve Madeley
(Top photos: Clive Brunskill/Naomi Baker/Catherine Ivill/Getty Images; design: Samuel Richardson)
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Bad language, worse jokes and riot police: What really happens in the tunnel
“I’ll see you in the tunnel.”
There was a time when that was more than a throwaway line on the pitch, even if some players found a way to make sure that they never showed up.
“One of my standard challenges was to (jump and) head the ball and put my studs down someone’s back — which you’d get sent off for now,” Liam Ridgewell, the former Aston Villa, Birmingham City, West Bromwich Albion and Portland Timbers defender, tells The Athletic. “I did it to the late, great Papa Bouba Diop at Fulham.”
Ridgewell, now a coach with MLS side Portland, pauses as he thinks back to what happened next.
“You know that GIF when Jim Carrey wipes his mouth and changes his demeanour? Well, Bouba Diop turned around, rubbed his back and went: ‘What. Did. You. Just. Do?’ And I thought: ‘S—.’
“He said: ‘I’ll see you in the tunnel.’ I was like: ‘No you f—ing won’t!’ After the game, I stayed out there (on the pitch) so long, even clapping the home fans, so that I didn’t have to go back down the tunnel!”
Tunnels in football, like most things in life, aren’t what they used to be. For a start, the more spacious layouts of modern stadiums mean that players are rarely rubbing shoulders with one another when they line up in them beforehand, taking away a lot of the tension.
The fixtures and fittings have changed in the area between the dressing rooms and the pitch too – glass has replaced concrete blocks at Manchester City so the VIPs in the ‘Tunnel Club’ can rubber-neck – and so has the behaviour of the players.
“Gary Neville and Roy Keane wouldn’t even look at their opponents – Gary didn’t even look at his brother,” says one current player, who has asked to remain anonymous to protect relationships, as he recalls the scene at Goodison Park when Gary was captain of United, with Phil wearing the armband for home side Everton.
“It was about the bravado of ‘We’re going to war!’ But – and I’m saying this as someone who is old-school — football isn’t about going to war any more. You can barely make a tackle these days. So it’s a lot more friendly in the tunnel now.”
In other words, it’s more a case of Jamie Vardy being the court jester, rocking back on his heels and mocking Kasper Schmeichel with his “Ooh, Danish friends!” joke based on a scene in UK sitcom The Inbetweeners as his Leicester team-mate palled around with then-Southampton midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, rather than Keane going nose to nose with Patrick Vieira, the “Crazy Gang” snorting Deep Heat or a couple of Nottingham Forest midfielders barking like dogs.
“Exactly,” replies the same player. “When I was younger, if the cameras were there, people didn’t even want to be seen saying hello to opposition players. But everyone is hugging and laughing now, high-fiving mascots – it’s a lot more relaxed.”
Ridgewell nods.
“I saw the Goodison tunnel on TV the other day and thought: ‘That looks nice.’ There were pictures on the wall. But when I used to walk down there it was pure Goodison — dirty and dingy. It set the stage for what you were going into — it was like a dungeon walk.
“But now you’ve got people asking for shirts before games, and asking how the wife and kids are doing. I wouldn’t have asked one of our players that!”
It feels like a sign of the times that a minor incident just outside the tunnel involving Manchester City’s Kyle Walker and one of the Arsenal backroom staff, after the Premier League game between the two clubs at the latter’s Emirates Stadium last month, caused such a stir.
Walker refused to shake hands with Nicolas Jover after the 1-0 defeat on the basis that Arsenal’s set-piece coach, who formerly held that job at City, refused to do the same when Pep Guardiola’s side beat them last season. A storm in a tea cup if ever there was one.
“A nerve has been hit here”
Kyle Walker reacts to the Arsenal set piece coach Nicolas Jover 😬 pic.twitter.com/xdZpRkWeUa
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) October 8, 2023
Indeed, post-match feuds in the tunnel are rare now.
In the February of last season, Leeds United thought it was disrespectful that Nottingham Forest had their dressing room door open and music blaring out after defeating them 1-0. In a classic case of tit for tat, Leeds did the same to Forest when they won the return fixture at Elland Road two months later. Forest head coach Steve Cooper wasn’t happy and a security guard ended up intervening in the tunnel.
All of that feels rather tame, though, especially compared to the days when John Fashanu’s Wimbledon debut coincided with a 22-man brawl in the tunnel of their away game at Portsmouth or, from personal experience, when you looked across and saw the opposition striker being throttled before a ball had been kicked.
“Don’t f—ing ruin our big day,” Jason Perry, the former Wales international defender, strongly advised Brett Ormerod, who was Blackpool’s star player and two weeks away from a move to the Premier League with Southampton when we lined up with Newport County, then in the seventh tier of the English game, away at Bloomfield Road for an FA Cup first round tie in November 2001. Perry had his hands around Ormerod’s throat at the time.
It would be stretching it to say that managers and players thought games could be won or lost in the tunnel back then, but there was certainly a school of thought that a bit of intimidation could help.
Aidy Boothroyd even put on an exercise before a play-off semi-final a decade ago where he divided his Northampton Town squad into two groups and the players had to practise leaving the dressing rooms and lining up in the tunnel.
“It didn’t do us any favours, by the way. We got pumped (3-0 by Bradford City) in the final,” Clive Platt, who was playing for Northampton at the time and now works as a football agent, says. “I actually did that before with another manager as well — Martin Allen, when I was with MK Dons. Again, it was to gain that advantage before the game kicks off.
Aidy Boothroyd wanted Northampton to use the tunnel as a weapon (Pete Norton/Getty Images)“Aidy did it slightly differently. Keeping you waiting was a tactic of some teams. But he (Boothroyd) used to make us go out early, especially in those play-off matches, and stand in the middle of the tunnel.
“He was like: ‘Go and stand in the middle, pretty much on your tip-toes, jumping up and down, looking as big as possible, and also taking up as much room as possible,’ to kind of show that it’s our tunnel, not theirs.”
Occasionally, the tunnel can be more intimidating than the opposition.
Galatasaray, back in the 1990s, was a case in point.
Chelsea travelled to Istanbul for a Champions League game in October 1999.
A window on their team coach was smashed on the way to the stadium and that set the tone for what was to follow. Welcome to Hell, as Galatasaray liked to say at the time.
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Attacked, detained, deported: Inside Man United’s ‘Welcome to Hell’ game, 30 years on
“I was in the tunnel a bit further back and you could hear the noise, which sounded like there was a massive hailstorm outside as you came up the steps,” Graeme Le Saux tells The Athletic. “I was thinking: ‘It (the weather) wasn’t meant to be like that.’ But then as you come out, there’s this roof of riot shields, like an extended tunnel, and people are launching all sorts of things at the riot police.”
It was an extraordinary scene, which is captured in the picture below, and is seared into Le Saux’s mind.
Riot police ‘protect’ Chelsea at Galatasaray in 1999 (Ben Radford/Allsport)“If the shields hadn’t been there, I don’t think they’d have thrown stuff at us. It’s all part of this build-up and I presume the riot police are in on it! Because as soon as you come out, they don’t carry on throwing things. It’s like the ultimate distraction and intimidation.
“But once the game starts, you’re almost in an exclusion zone, you’re looking in rather than out. There was so much nervous tension in us going out but we channelled it into a performance and we took them apart.”
Chelsea, inspired by Tore Andre Flo, won 5-0 and turned a cauldron into a cakewalk.
Red Star Belgrade’s Rajko Mitic Stadium is another of those places where minds can easily wander in the tunnel — and not in a good way.
With the changing rooms outside the stadium itself, it is a 240m walk from there to the playing surface — more than two football pitches end to end, by far the longest in Europe. The tunnel itself is not for the faint-hearted: anyone taller than 6ft (182cm) needs to stoop in places, just 15cm of concrete separates the ceiling from the ultras in the stand above it, and the riot police presence along the route is unnerving rather than reassuring.
Gavin McCann played and won there with Bolton Wanderers in the UEFA Cup (today’s Europa League) in 2007.
“There’s a good picture of Gary Speed leading us out,” the former Aston Villa and Sunderland midfielder says of the photo below. “It is a proper tunnel — long and dark — and then you’ve got the athletics track to cross as well when you get out of it. There were riot police at the top and they were also lined up in the tunnel.
“They try to intimidate you, it’s as simple as that. But we went there and turned them over.”
Gary Speed leads Bolton out through Red Star’s tunnel in 2007 (Michael Steele/Getty Images)The psychological side before a game is fascinating, especially as kick-off nears. Nerves and anxiety can easily take over, so much so that it’s not uncommon for players to vomit just before lining up in the tunnel — Per Mertesacker would often do that in his days with Arsenal.
“As a player, you’re constantly overcoming the demons,” Le Saux adds. “The worst bit for me throughout my whole career was the journey to any stadium. It’s no man’s land. You can’t do any more preparation and you can’t get into the zone of being ready to play because there’s too long a gap.”
In the tunnel, it’s different — it’s game time.
“Then, it’s a fine line between focus, that bit of bravado and posturing, but there’s also that internal dialogue of getting ready to play,” Le Saux says. “Tunnels, for me, are sacred places — the Anfield sign at Liverpool is one of them. They’re waiting rooms where you come out onto the pitch, when you’re crossing that Rubicon and passing the point of no return.”
Anfield’s tunnel, complete with its famous sign, in 2007, before redevelopment (Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)It’s almost a game before the game.
For example, at Goodison, where the tunnel is narrow and goes down some steps and then back up again to the pitch, Le Saux would try to stand on one of the higher steps, especially if 6ft 4in (193cm) Everton striker Duncan Ferguson was around.
“I was still shorter than him but at least I could look into his eyes as opposed to into his nostrils,” he says, smiling. “Even if you are nervous, you’ve got to put on a front.
“Playing against Wimbledon, (John) Fashanu, the stuff they would say, the jumping up and down, the music, the shirts off, snorting Deep Heat and Vicks VapoRub – I wouldn’t be surprised if they were rubbing it in their eyes.
“I remember we played Poland with England and they had what felt like the world’s longest tunnel. Their centre-back, who was 6ft 4in and a bruiser, jumped up and headed an iron girder on purpose – and then looked at us.”
Le Saux can laugh about it all now, including the way that some players had no interest in engaging with the children serving as mascots after emerging from a dressing room that was full of adrenaline and testosterone.
Some players overthink the game during those final moments and end up inhibited on the pitch. Others zone out and perform.
“Ultimately, that’s what will define you in some ways,” Le Saux adds. “Coming back to Galatasaray and the build-up in the tunnel before the game, it would have been so easy to have felt my hamstring that day. But I think top-level players know that the outcome… that’s what we play for.”
The referee always rings twice.
Players are expected to be out and into the tunnel sharpish after the official sounds a bell for a second time. There is a 30-second period of grace before each half, and clubs will be fined if their players arrive any later.
Amid all the tension and the thousand-yard stares back in the day, mascots occasionally lightened the mood.
In 2006, Jake Nickless, who was a Chelsea fan and five years old at the time, put a thumb to his nose when Steven Gerrard went to shake his hand in the tunnel at Stamford Bridge. Nickless claimed years later that his father had put him up to the stunt and promised him some PlayStation games in return.
As for Gerrard, he was thrown totally off-guard. “The only time I smiled in the tunnel was when the Chelsea mascot played a trick on me,” he wrote in his autobiography. “I went to shake his hand and he pulled a face at me. If it was an adult I would have wanted to wring their neck!’”
Players can be childish too, though.
“One of our first games of the season with Forest was against Arsenal away,” Andy Johnson says, recalling a match at Highbury in 1998. “We were lining up against Patrick Vieira and Emmanuel Petit, and Geoff Thomas said to me: ‘When we get in the tunnel, look at them and start barking and growling at them like a dog.’ So the two of us were doing that — barking like dogs — at two World Cup winners (with France, little more than a month before), who were looking at us like we’d gone mad.”
For the game’s gym addicts, it’s the perfect time to flex.
Danny Shittu had a reputation for emerging from the changing room with his shirt off – “19 stones (266lb; 120kg) of prime beef, letting out monosyllabic and neanderthal grunts and screams, beating his chest all the while,” is how Clarke Carlisle once described his former Queens Park Rangers team-mate.
Others can get carried away with their own voice.
“I think in the tunnel I was too excited — that was down to just childishness,” goalkeeper Joe Hart reflected after his England side’s dismal showing at the 2016 European Championship, where he was filmed before the group game against neighbours and long-time rivals Wales shouting expletives outside the dressing rooms. “I thought it was the right thing to do. I just let my emotions get the better of me.”
The notorious Keane-Vieira episode at Highbury in 2005 was unusual in the sense that tunnel altercations — and that one was a proper bust-up — generally happen after matches, not before them.
Indeed, Manchester United and Arsenal have plenty of history in that department.
“The Battle of the Buffet” at Old Trafford in that 2004-05 season’s reverse fixture the previous October goes straight in at number 1 here.
Fuelled by a sense of injustice after United were awarded a controversial second-half penalty for the first of their two goals, and angry that Arsenal’s 49-match unbeaten Premier League run had come to an end, Cesc Fabregas hurled a slice of pizza (believed to be Margherita but the topping was never confirmed) that hit United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, of all people.
Seventeen years later, Fabregas finally came clean.
The Spaniard told UK broadcaster ITV Sport that he was both hungry and frustrated when he got to the dressing room after the game, and explained that he “took a slice of pizza” and then “started hearing noises” in the tunnel.
“You started seeing (Arsenal manager) Arsene Wenger and players everywhere,” Fabregas said. “The first thing that occurred to me was to throw the pizza, because I didn’t have the power, or the courage maybe, to go into that fight. They were monsters in there.”
The row that followed between Wenger and Ferguson, both in the tunnel and publicly, was box office.
“In the tunnel, he (Wenger) was publicly criticising my players, calling them cheats,” Ferguson said three months later. “I was told about this when they came into the dressing room, so I went out into the tunnel and said to him: ‘You get in there (the away dressing room) and behave yourself, leave my players alone.’ He came sprinting towards me with his hands raised saying: ‘What do you want to do about it?’ He was standing right there.”
Managers and coaches are every bit as likely as players to cause problems in the tunnel. Haranguing referees at half-time, as well as full-time, was commonplace in the past, but happens a lot less frequently now.
Jose Mourinho had form for that, and more.
Ridgewell hasn’t forgotten a fracas involving Mourinho at Stamford Bridge in 2013, when Chelsea were awarded a dubious late penalty that allowed them to avoid defeat against his West Brom side in the Premier League. In the melee that followed in the tunnel, West Brom defender Jonas Olsson claimed home manager Mourinho called him “a Mickey Mouse player”.
“It still sticks in my brain now,” Ridgewell says, a decade later. “We were winning 2-1 and they got a naughty penalty. It all kicked off over that, and as we were going down the tunnel, you’ve got Jose Mourinho standing at the top of the stairs, leaning over one of their players, and Jonas Olsson was at the bottom trying to get to him.
“I recall Mourinho saying: ‘You lot are just a Mickey Mouse club.’ If he said: ‘Micky Mouse player’, that would explain why he set Jonas off.
“I love Jose Mourinho, but that left a sour taste, because we battered them that day. But it was a classic tunnel moment.”
(Additional material: Phil Hay)
The New York Times
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We ranked every Premier League stadium so you could shout at us
Welcome to The Athletic’s Premier League stadium rankings, an exercise in entertainment, creating arguments nobody can win and questionable mathematics.
Before we start, we should beg for forgiveness. This is an almost impossible task and however we choose categories, weight categories and then mark the teams is going to annoy you. It’s a subjective topic and there isn’t a right answer.
All we ask is that you know we have put far too many hours into all this, tried to make it as fair as possible, and are not deliberately trying to upset anyone.
So take a seat — or stand, if you prefer — maybe get one of those squeezy stress balls and enjoy. Hey, you might even agree with some of it.
Coming to this order has been a long, methodical process involving a working group that broke the scoring into four categories:
- Matchday experience — including seat views, community feel, accessibility and amenities inside and near the stadium (40 per cent of the final total)
- Match atmosphere — with consideration for home and away supporters (25 per cent)
- Transport and location — how easy it is to get to and from the stadium (20 per cent)
- Aesthetics — such as design, character, surroundings, history and other intangibles (15 per cent)
The panel was asked to submit marks out of 10 for each stadium in each category, which were then averaged and weighted as above — giving an objective final ranking.
There are complexities to each category. A ground’s atmosphere can depend on the form of a team, the status of the opposition and whether the floodlights are on.
Equally, your matchday experience can be influenced by how safe you feel or how swiftly stewards deal with an abusive or racist supporter nearby.
As for the aesthetics, stadium architectural historian Simon Inglis said most grounds “are simply an agglomeration of decisions made by different directors over different eras in different circumstances. I hold my hand up to extolling a shambles over a masterplan and prefer asymmetry and quirky angles to a uniform bowl, but I also appreciate that a uniform bowl will almost always be functionally superior”.
Our working panel and consultation included Inglis, our own writers, which includes a broad cross-section of match-going supporters, and guidance from the Football Supporters’ Association.
20. Vitality Stadium
Team: Bournemouth
Capacity: 11,307
First used: 1910
The main stand at what was originally named Dean Court carries the Bournemouth crest and below it, a slogan: “Together, anything is possible”. Few things could be more apt. Completely rebuilt in 2001, the stadium finally got its fourth stand in 2013 after the club survived administration. Since then, it has become a regular Premier League feature.
Best bits: There is a neatness and conformity to the Vitality Stadium. The compact stands are close to the action and provide uninterrupted views and the whole ground does not try to be something it isn’t. Instead it is humble, which may explain its presence at the bottom of this list, but some will also view that as its charm.
Where it falls short: There’s little discernible character. The support is welcoming but everything feels a bit temporary, like the real ground will be built at some point in the future. The images of past glories on the side of each stand are a nice feature but struggle to inspire.
What I love about the place: “It is a cobbled-together ground and wouldn’t look out of place in the lower rungs of the EFL, with the club’s training complex adjacent to the Ted MacDougall Stand. That part of the ground remains a temporary building, put up quickly when Bournemouth were promoted to the Championship. The stadium is situated in a leafy part of Dorset and near a dog-walking route that cuts between the ground and Bournemouth’s compact training facility. The charm of the ground has contributed to them punching above their weight.” – Jacob Tanswell, football writer
Verdict: If you are in the area and a game is on (with tickets available), then you should catch it, but no one is going to shame you if there are other grounds higher on your list.
19. Kenilworth Road
Team: Luton Town
Capacity: 11,050
First used: 1905
Luton’s home for more than 100 years was one of the stories of the summer following the club’s promotion. Kenilworth Road, which last hosted the top flight in 1992, is like a football museum. A working example of how football grounds first established themselves with mostly wooden, low-roofed, shallow terraces that have since seen seats installed. Those stands sit alongside a new, temporary Bobbers Stand that enables the ground to fulfil its Premier League obligations. The Oak Stand entrance through nearby houses is now known globally. The ground’s days are numbered, with Luton set to build a new purpose-built stadium across town.
Best bits: There is nothing like the cauldron of noise that can be generated in a ground like Kenilworth Road. Everything feels so close. The sound consumes. It may be well short of the stature enjoyed by most Premier League venues, yet you won’t hear an atmosphere like it. The walk into the away end through neighbouring terraced housing really is fun, too.
Where it falls short: There is limited legroom, posts galore and a roof that is likely to obscure your view. Accessibility was also considered poor, although improvements have since been introduced as part of the recent redevelopment.
What I love about the place: “All its peculiarities and rough edges embody the Luton story and how far we have come. Each stand has a unique character. Draped flags lionise club greats and protest past wrongs inflicted on the club by over-zealous authorities. The re-jigged Bobbers Stand is just the latest example of the club being dragged kicking and screaming into the next phase of modern football.
“But the individual stories and who you go with (parents, grandparents, partners, children) are what make it so personal. Your first game (Preston North End). Your worst game (Kettering Town). Your best game (Sunderland). They are the memories. Eventually, we will move into a nice-looking new stadium, which will bring financial security and less mockery from opposition fans. It will probably look lovely on TV, but it won’t be home. Not for a long time.” – Alex Brodie, content editor (and Luton fan)
Verdict: Get there and soak up a rare atmosphere while you still can. Just don’t expect comfortable surroundings.
18. Selhurst Park
Team: Crystal Palace
Capacity: 25,486
First used: 1924
One of the venues for the 1948 Summer Olympics, Selhurst Park is a traditional ground that has preserved its character while picking up enough updates. The newest part of the ground is the striking Holmesdale Road Stand, completed in 1994. You may well recognise the stadium as Nelson Road, the fictional home of AFC Richmond in Ted Lasso. Plans for a £150million ($185m) redevelopment of Selhurst Park are in place, with most of the formal barriers now cleared.
Best bits: Palace take pride in their home atmosphere. The Holmesdale Fanatics lead by example with flags and chants throughout the 90 minutes. The soul at Selhurst Park is viewed among the best in the country and there is a community warmth around the place that can be hard to find at other clubs in London.
Where it falls short: Parking is a struggle. There will also be obstructions to your view — especially in the away end — and accessibility is poor in places.
What I love about the place: “Selhurst Park is not the most glamorous stadium, but it has character and history. Next year will mark its centenary, just as work to replace the Main Stand is hoped to start. Combine that with an atmosphere often hailed as the envy of other Premier League clubs and there is something special about it. Just don’t try to drive there.” — Matt Woosnam, Crystal Palace correspondent
Verdict: Selhurst Park is definitely a matchday atmosphere to savour and a classic ground to take in, whether you want to see Roy Hodgson or imagine Ted Lasso watching on from the dugout.
17. Turf Moor
Team: Burnley
Capacity: 21,744
First used: 1883
Home to Burnley for 140 years and counting, Turf Moor is one of the world’s oldest football stadiums. Only Preston’s Deepdale has enjoyed longer unbroken service than Turf Moor and recent investment has raised the standards of the facilities after a few too many years of neglect.
Best bits: Burnley is a proper football town and it feels like it. The stadium regularly averages crowds over 20,000 in a town with a population of little more than 90,000, making it one of the best-supported clubs per capita in England. There’s the tidier look, new video screens, painted wooden seats and a lovely backdrop of rolling hills. You may even get to catch some action at the neighbouring Burnley Cricket Club, which backs onto one of the stands.
Where it falls short: All places get cold, but Turf Moor can feel particularly chilly. You may or may not get a good view of the pitch and two of the stands could do with the same renovation treatment as their opposite ends.
What I love about the place: “There is a charm to Turf Moor that gives it an authentic old-school football feel. It has character, history, tradition, compact concourses and now digital advertising boards. The one feature that marks it out is the view. Sit in the press box at the top of the North Stand and admire the old mill town and surrounding area. A thing of beauty you never tire of and when the visiting team’s correspondent arrives, you can guarantee they will point it out. Combine that with ‘Kompanyball’ at its best and the atmosphere it can generate… quality.” – Andy Jones, Burnley correspondent
Oliver Kay says: “I cannot understand how it’s so low. A functional stadium rather than an attractive one, but it has an old-world charm, slightly more rugged than Craven Cottage. I suspect a north-south divide here. That view from the top of the Bob Lord Stand of the chimneys and hills beyond is something to savour. And there aren’t many better away ends.”
Verdict: Take a coat and enjoy one of English football’s oldest venues that still carries plenty of charm.
16. The American Express Stadium
Team: Brighton & Hove Albion
Capacity: 31,876
First used: 2011
Situated in Falmer on the outskirts of Brighton, the Amex is not so much the home of a club as the sign of its rebirth. Brighton had been homeless for 16 years after the board of directors voted to sell the club’s previous Goldstone Ground home to developers without arranging a replacement. The club fought through the peril and earned Premier League football within six years of moving to its impressive, £93million home.
Best bits: Your matchday ticket also acts as a voucher for free travel. The facilities for supporters include padded seats and ample legroom. The design is appealing and there is even the charm of depicting white seagulls among the sea of blue seats. The stadium’s accessibility has been awarded the gold standard centre of excellence by charity and stadium auditors Level Playing Field.
Where it falls short: It just doesn’t feel or look right to have such small seating areas behind each goal. This is where supporters suck the ball into the net, don’t they know? Although transport is free, the remote location of the ground means there are no real alternatives when it fails. There are also limited refreshment options beyond the club facilities, which tend to be more expensive and don’t provide shelter from the weather.
What I love about the place: “The Amex is neat, well-equipped and fit for purpose. A near-32,000-seater stadium set in a bowl on the eastern outskirts of the city. Above all, it symbolises the spirit of the club and its supporters. Together they fought back from two years of ground sharing with Gillingham 75 miles away and 12 years at Withdean, a converted athletics track that was supposed to be a temporary home back in the city before a drawn-out saga for permission to build the Amex. A facelift after 12 years has given the stadium a fresh feel for the club’s first season in Europe.” – Andy Naylor, Brighton correspondent
Verdict: Brighton are on to a good thing; their stadium sums up perfectly where they have come from and who they now aspire to be.
15. Craven Cottage
Team: Fulham
Capacity: 24,500
First used: 1896
Craven Cottage’s history of hosting Fulham dates back more than 125 years and it represents one of the more idiosyncratic stadiums in England. It is named after a cottage built by William Craven in 1780, which still stands in one corner of the ground. The ornate frontage of the historic Johnny Haynes Stand — the oldest remaining stand in English professional football — runs along the length of the ground. Now standing opposite it is the redeveloped Riverside Stand.
Best bits: There is a lot to like and experience when visiting Craven Cottage. The walk from Putney Bridge along the bank of the River Thames is one of the most enjoyable journeys to an English ground.
Where it falls short: Tickets are not cheap. Fulham supporters already feel like they have been asked to bear the brunt of the cost of that new Riverside Stand through higher ticket prices.
What I love about the place: “The walk to Craven Cottage sets it apart. A rite of passage. Across the bridge, through Bishops Park, along the rows of terraced houses and then, somehow, a football ground hidden behind a listed brick facade attached to the cottage itself, tucked away in the corner. There is no football stadium like it, especially now it combines the modernity of the new Riverside Stand with the tradition and history of the wooden seats opposite. But it’s the stroll on a sunny day that makes it unique. It’s why travelling supporters enjoy it and why Fulham fans have fought so hard to make sure developers could never touch it.” — Peter Rutzler, Fulham correspondent
Verdict: There will be bigger, louder and more intense places to visit, but few are as warm and picturesque as Craven Cottage.
14. Goodison Park
Team: Everton
Capacity: 39,414
First used: 1892
Goodison is iconic. No stadium has hosted more games of English top-flight football. It was the first purpose-built stadium in England when it opened and the first to introduce dugouts for managers. Everton were also the first club to have a church attached to its stadium: the cosy St Luke’s serves tea, toast and memorabilia to match-goers before games. A new stadium on Bramley-Moore Dock is set to replace Goodison during next season, with the old stadium redeveloped for homes and commercial use.
Best bits: Goodison Park is football vintage. It holds in noise to guttural levels and provides an experience far closer and more stirring than others. Designed by Archibald Leitch, also look out for the criss-cross balustrades that underpin its architectural design and underline the ground’s enduring charm.
Where it falls short: There is no avoiding the pillars obstructing your view. It is the Premier League stadium with the highest percentage of restricted-view seats. There is little room for supporter facilities other grounds can offer, or much legroom.
What I love about the place: “If absence makes the heart grow fonder, then Everton’s imminent farewell to Goodison Park is already intensifying emotions among supporters. The Old Lady may be a pensioner among the top flight’s other modern super stadia, but it is a venerable old dear, bursting with history, tradition and memories to go with the fraying paint and obstructed views. Wedged into terraced streets on three sides, those matchday smells of chippies, beer and police horse muck are — like the ground itself — lingering reminders of a bygone age.” — Greg O’Keeffe, football writer
Oliver Kay says: “By goodness, it has seen better days. It’s a relic now, a symbol of a club that has regrettably been left behind in the Premier League and its days are numbered. Everything about the place — the noise and smells as you walk down Goodison Road, the peeling paint in the concourses and stairwells, the appalling lack of legroom — feels like stepping back in time. And in the age of homogenised, identikit new stadiums, it is all the more appealing for that. Everton have to move on, but it will be a sad, sad day when they leave.”
Verdict: The beloved ground will not be around for much longer and is worth a visit for that reason alone. It will be missed once it’s gone.
13. Bramall Lane
Team: Sheffield United
Capacity: 32,050
First used: 1855
Bramall Lane is the oldest football stadium in the world still hosting matches. The four stands cling to the sides of the pitch and loom over the action — and that is despite being originally built to host cricket. It sits near the city centre, yet is a significant distance from the Hillsborough home of rivals Sheffield Wednesday. Steeped in history and character, it has its quirks but also comes across as pretty well-kept. The South Stand’s wooden seats were only removed in 2005.
Best bits: There can be few more intimidating atmospheres in English football than the one generated inside Bramall Lane. The noise lingers and swells as if stuck under the roof and the authenticity of the place means it feels like little has substantially changed through the years. It is the stadium that defines what a “difficult place to go” looks like and being on the right side of that is always more fun.
Where it falls short: Being on the opposite side of that atmosphere is not as enjoyable and the home support can make things intimidating for away supporters when the mood turns. Views can be interrupted by pillars and there is little to get excited about around the stadium itself. Accessibility across the stadium is limited and there is also the depressing sight of the stadium’s hotel, which has stood unused since 2020.
What I love about the place: “In many ways, Bramall Lane is a throwback to the days before dozens of new stadiums came along looking exactly like the one before — other than the colour of the seats. And that’s a good thing. On a night, the atmosphere positively fizzes. The lack of fans in 2020-21 due to the Covid-19 pandemic goes a long way to explaining why Chris Wilder’s United tanked so horribly in their second Premier League season.” — Richard Sutcliffe, football writer
Verdict: The sort of place the Premier League misses when it’s not there, a piece of history that continues to stand the test of time and home to one of the most vociferous atmospheres across English football.
12. The City Ground
Team: Nottingham Forest
Capacity: 30,404
First used: 1898
All but the first 14 years of Forest’s existence have been at The City Ground. The stadium sits on the bank of the River Trent and there have been plans since 2019 to redevelop the Peter Taylor Stand. They were granted planning permission last year, although the stadium’s proximity to the river may complicate matters.
Best bits: The stadium is in a beautiful spot at the heart of Nottingham, with the river a welcome neighbour. Trent Bridge crosses the river and is a hive of activity on a matchday. Then, inside the ground, the belting anthem of Mull of Kintyre sung just before kick-off is an iconic sound in English football, taking the entire ground right back to their English title and European successes of the late 1970s. The home atmosphere has been rejuvenated in recent seasons.
Where it falls short: The City Ground has character but little comfort. The PA system volume can be erratic and there is a chance you will have a post obstructing your view. It has also ranked as one of the more limited Premier League grounds for accessibility.
What I love about the place: “The City Ground has always been special, but it is the people, as much as the place, that has made it Forest’s biggest asset in recent years. Steve Cooper’s fist pumps, the spectacular Forza Garibaldi banners, Brennan Johnson, Ryan Yates and Joe Worrall helping fire their club to success. The deafening, almost physical wall of noise helped drive Forest into the Premier League and helped keep them there. For so long, it was a museum, a place of history. Now there is excitement for the future.” — Paul Taylor, Forest correspondent
Verdict: There is little new and shiny about the place, just a powerful atmosphere and a deeply ingrained history.
11. Etihad Stadium
Team: Manchester City
Capacity: 53,400
First used: 2003
Originally built for the 2002 Commonwealth Games, the City of Manchester Stadium was converted into a purpose-built football stadium at a cost of £40million. That conversion means it feels much more like a football venue than the London Stadium. In 2003, Manchester City moved in and, following the club’s takeover by the Abu Dhabi United Group in 2008, the stadium sits in one of the most impressive football sites in Europe, with the Etihad Campus just across the road. The stadium design maximises sunlight and ventilation for the playing surface, which is regarded as one of the best in England. Expansion of the South Stand was completed in 2015 and there are plans for further redevelopment of the stadium over the coming three years.
Best bits: It is akin to visiting a football theme park, with restaurants, stages for bands and activities for supporters spread around the site. Inside, the stadium carries an aura given City have set about winning every trophy going. With Jack Grealish, Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne on the pitch, you know a seat guarantees the very best in action, alongside all the facilities and connectivity of a state-of-the-art stadium, which was lso awarded Level Playing Field’s centre of excellence award for accessibility.
Where it falls short: It is hard not to visit the Etihad and think about Maine Road. The club’s spiritual home saw a constant rollercoaster and delivered one of the great atmospheres in English football. The Etihad is many things but may never have that final piece of intangible soul that sits in the old stands. Away supporters being housed over three tiers does little to help the atmosphere.
What I love about the place: “You’d have to say the Etihad is one of the toughest grounds to go to in top-level European football these days. Pep Guardiola’s team is a large reason for that, but the fans can generate an atmosphere for the biggest games that seems to give the players an extra push. Just ask Real Madrid. As for the physical building, it’s one that’s always evolving. The curious mixture of sky blue and concrete grey will look very modern once the North Stand redevelopment is concluded and the new live music venue next door is up and running.” — Sam Lee, Manchester City correspondent
Verdict: Unfairly nicknamed ‘Emptyhad’ by rivals, the Etihad gets a harder rap than it deserves. Given the team’s trophy haul and the high-quality fan experience, we all know who is having the last laugh.
10. London Stadium
Team: West Ham United
Capacity: 62,500
First used: 2016
London’s Olympic Stadium underwent a three-year, £274million renovation after controversially being handed to West Ham. The club was awarded a 99-year lease and pays an annual rent of £2.5million. The stadium is still used for other sports. UK Athletics has annual use and Major League Baseball games have also been hosted.
Best bits: Set in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London Stadium has expansive surroundings and the genuine feel of a big, international venue. There is plenty of space, excellent facilities and a good atmosphere outside the stadium on a matchday.
Where it falls short: The elephant in the room is the number of elephants you can fit into the stadium. The pitch feels distant and so does everyone else in the stadium. These are problems you will find in any football ground that also features an athletics track. Had Tottenham Hotspur’s bid to take over the site been successful, they would have knocked the stadium down and rebuilt it. Anyone who attended ‘Super Saturday’ in August 2012, when the British Olympic team won three gold medals inside the stadium, would vouch for the noise and atmosphere that can be created inside, but as hard as West Ham try, the experience of the London Stadium struggles to match the spectacle.
What I love about the place: “It will never truly feel home to West Ham supporters due to their strong connection to the Boleyn Ground, but the electric atmosphere on European nights at the London Stadium is special. There have been so many memorable moments, from Andriy Yarmolenko’s winner in the last-16 Europa League tie against Sevilla to Michail Antonio’s goal in the Europa Conference League semi-final first-leg victory over AZ Alkmaar. Those moments make the place come alive.” — Roshane Thomas, West Ham correspondent
Verdict: There are issues — it can offer one of the least engaging atmospheres in England’s top flight – but the amenities, facilities and experience of visiting an impressive venue in part make up for that.
9. Stamford Bridge
Team: Chelsea
Capacity: 40,173
First used: 1877
Chelsea are one of only a few clubs to play at the same stadium since they were formed, but there is something utterly unrecognisable from the ground Chelsea were playing at just 30 years ago. Redevelopment of the stands, the removal of the greyhound racing track and the building of all manner of hotels and restaurants means the stadium itself is almost hidden inside the hodgepodge of buildings that make up Chelsea Village. Expanding the stadium or moving away have proven equally problematic.
Best bits: There are few stadiums of the size of Stamford Bridge that make everything feel so close to the pitch, probably because it would now be almost impossible to design it alongside the required space and amenities. Still, that closeness creates an authentic feel inside the stadium despite its exclusive west London setting and opulent exterior.
Where it falls short: There really is little to get excited about as you approach the ground. No view. No teasing floodlights. It just looks like you’re visiting a hotel shopping complex. Quite frankly, a club with Chelsea’s aspirations needs a bigger stadium and a future away from Stamford Bridge has been discussed. This is another stadium in a prime location where transport links can buckle on a matchday.
What I love about the place: “As each year goes by, Chelsea’s ground shows more signs of age and is overtaken in size and facilities by new, shinier versions built by rivals… but there is no other place Chelsea fans would rather be. Stamford Bridge is unique: the supporters, courtesy of Chelsea Pitch Owners, actually own the freehold to the ground. The club cannot move sites and keep the name Chelsea without getting enough votes from the CPO first.
“A club mocked for a lack of history are still at their traditional home. The team’s deteriorating form has dampened the atmosphere, but a blast of One Step Beyond by Madness after a big win gets people dancing in the stands like nowhere else.” — Simon Johnson, Chelsea correspondent
Verdict: Given Chelsea’s journey over the past 30 years, this may be one club that needs to move if it is to maximise its future, but Stamford Bridge remains an archetypal stop on any tour.
8. Gtech Community Stadium
Team: Brentford
Capacity: 17,250
First used: 2020
Having enjoyed the compact home comforts of Griffin Park and a public house on each corner since 1904, Brentford’s switch to their £71million new home was quite the departure. Plans had been in the works for almost two decades, but the new stadium finally arrived in time for the remarkable rise to the Premier League.
Best bits: The stadium is cleverly designed to fit into a triangle of land just off the M4. Space and comfort are all here and it is compact enough for the stands to feel attached to the action. Transport links are good and there is a community feel about the place.
Where it falls short: The design is fun but unlikely to persuade you to visit. The transport links are good but you could be forgiven for using a map and compass to find your way there on foot or by car.
What I love about the place: “It is one of the smallest grounds in the top two divisions but none of that detracts from its charm. Brentford’s home is close to the Thames and there is nothing better than stopping for a drink at one of the riverside pubs before watching Thomas Frank’s side take on one of the ‘Big Six’ on a roasting summer’s day. Just ask Manchester United fans.” — Jay Harris, Brentford correspondent
Verdict: A proud home for Brentford, a mark of how far the club has come and a comfortable and enjoyable venue for football.
7. Villa Park
Team: Aston Villa
Capacity: 42,530
First used: 1897
It is far from the biggest ground, yet there is something classically ornate and reliable about Villa Park. Villa’s home for well over a century, in the days before the new Wembley Stadium, Villa Park was used for more FA Cup semi-finals than any other ground. Significant redevelopment of the North Stand is on its way.
Best bits: A proper ground full of tradition and character, the Holte End especially. It is as good to look at from the outside as it is to experience from the inside, especially on a good day. When Villa Park rocks, the whole of Birmingham shakes.
Where it falls short: At times, Villa’s long and prestigious history has weighed heavy and when things are not going well, Villa Park can be quiet and unassuming. The ground comes with accessibility issues and has areas primed for redevelopment by its owners.
What I love about the place: “A packed-out Villa Park, when in full voice, is a special place to be. The Holte End towers over the pitch and creates a wonderful, unique atmosphere. When it gets going there is no place quite like it and it’s little surprise more than 30,000 people are on the waiting list for a season ticket. While there are issues around the ground with public transport and the North Stand looks a little dated, its traditional charm is still warming. When cup semi-finals were held here, visiting supporters loved it just as much as the locals.” — Gregg Evans, football writer
Oliver Kay says: “The tragedy of Villa Park is they demolished the old Trinity Road Stand, which was a thing of beauty. Of all the famous stands lost in the rush to modernise during the 1990s and 2000s, there were few more striking. Thank goodness they preserved the Holte End with its imposing red-brick exterior. Is there a more handsome stand in English football? And the upcoming redevelopment of the North Stand will enhance the old-meets-new feel of a stadium that is widely recognised among the best in the Premier League.”
Verdict: Getting to Villa Park for a big game to watch an in-form Villa can be as good and authentic as it gets.
6. Molineux
Team: Wolverhampton Wanderers
Capacity: 31,750
First used: 1889
Molineux has been home to Wolves for more than 130 years. It was the first stadium built for use by a Football League club and among the first to have floodlights installed and host European club games. Its name originates from Benjamin Molineux, who purchased the land during the 18th century. The modern stadium was built following Sir Jack Hayward’s takeover of the club in 1990 after serious financial issues. A new two-tier Stan Cullis Stand was opened in 2012.
Best bits: Whatever Wolves’ issues with identity on the pitch, their Molineux home is truly distinctive, with warm, inviting architecture. It is a short walk from the city centre, the facilities are modern and the atmosphere is raucous. A quick walk around the ground is worth the effort, showing off how the stadium is cut into the land. Hopefully, you will also clock the statue of Wolves legend Billy Wright.
Where it falls short: The home support can be intimidating and it may not be the best place to walk around on your own in your away shirt. It is another ground with limited parking nearby, too. There are a lot of pubs nearby but few allow away supporters inside.
What I love about the place: “Let’s talk about the statues. The figures of Stan Cullis and Billy Wright, in particular, are among the best footballing tributes you will find anywhere. Let’s talk about the pre-match music. Hi Ho Silver Lining, obviously, but Kashmir is even better. When you have Robert Plant around, why not? Then there’s the location; a short stroll from the station and city-centre pubs, not stuck out of town on a retail park. It needs sprucing up in places but so do a few cathedrals, which is what Molineux is; a footballing cathedral at the centre of its community.” — Steve Madeley, Wolves correspondent
Oliver Kay says: “Molineux is a gem, but that wasn’t always the case. When I first went in 1982, it was a dump with an inexplicable 20-yard gap between the pitch and one of the stands. Even to my young eyes, it was a total eyesore. But I love it now. The design is slightly eccentric but it works, as does the old-gold colour scheme. Inside, particularly around the media suite and the executive boxes, the club’s proud history is rightly flaunted. And it’s a five-minute walk from the city centre. Seriously, what’s not to like?”
Verdict: Molineux has a perfect balance of modern facilities and an authentic atmosphere to rival anywhere in the country.
5. Anfield
Team: Liverpool
Capacity: 61,276
First used: 1884
Apart from its first seven years when it was home to Everton, Anfield has served Liverpool from its perch on the edge of Stanley Park. It has continually evolved, adding tributes to legendary figures and more recently adding extra seats. That has seen off the need to move away from the club’s much-loved home. Now Anfield sits high above the trees and dominates the view as much as it does the lives of the city’s red-hearted residents.
Best bits: There is a poignancy in finding a moment to reflect at the ground’s Hillsborough memorial, while watching and listening to the entire ground sing You’ll Never Walk Alone before kick-off is one of football’s special experiences. Anfield can take you on a wild ride you may not want to end.
Where it falls short: The stadium has felt in a state of redevelopment for a few years and issues with the Buckingham Group, which was overseeing the rebuild of the Anfield Road end, have prolonged that perception. Once completed, Anfield will feel like it has been given another fresh lease of life. That is also likely to make matchday road congestion significantly worse.
What I love about the place: “I’ll never forget the first time I walked up those red steps and gazed out at the sheer beauty of Anfield. October 27, 1990. Liverpool 2 Chelsea 0. There was no place like it as a wide-eyed 12-year-old and it’s still unsurpassed more than three decades later. The towering Kop, the noise, the flags and that unique ability to inspire and intimidate players in equal measure. Nowhere is capable of producing miracles like Anfield. Don’t take my word for it, this is what Pep Guardiola thinks: “The motto ‘This is Anfield’ is no marketing spin.” — James Pearce, Liverpool correspondent
Oliver Kay says: “I get why people feel it is over-mythologised. The ‘famous European night’ cliche must sound pretty trite for opposition fans whose only experience of Anfield is a run-of-the-mill Premier League game on one of those Saturday afternoons when the Kop seems to be nursing a collective hangover. But I don’t think my ears have ever recovered from the semi-final second legs against Chelsea in 2005 and Barcelona in 2019. On nights like that, the place seems to take on a life of its own. One of the best things Fenway Sports Group did was scrap the previous owners’ plans for a new stadium.
“From certain vantage points, it is almost unrecognisable, but when the Anfield atmosphere is at its most raucous, it is unmistakable — possibly unrivalled.”
Verdict: A bucket-list item for any Liverpool fan and probably any fan of football.
4. Emirates Stadium
Team: Arsenal
Capacity: 60,704
First used: 2006
Replacing the iconic surrounds of Highbury, the Emirates is now in its 18th season as Arsenal’s home. It cost £390million to build, which was funded solely by the club. Arsenal are yet to win a league title since it was opened — but are closer than ever.
Best bits: Supporter facilities are excellent. Arsenal’s on-pitch performances have improved the atmosphere, too. One thing you do sense walking up to the Emirates is its ‘Arsenalisation’. Since 2009, supporters have helped bring club history and soul with murals and imagery. The stadium’s accessibility has also been awarded the gold standard centre of excellence by Level Playing Field.
Where it falls short: At times under Arsene Wenger, it felt like the Emirates hampered Arsenal’s ability to improve on the pitch. Maybe that was unfair, but it made for an often unhappy stadium to visit. That feeling has eased in recent seasons, unlike the cost of refreshments. There are London Underground stations nearby but that proximity can also cause major congestion outside.
What I love about the place: “Arsenal’s relationship with the Emirates is a funny one. It will always be held up against Highbury and for its first 15 years, it paled in comparison. Recently, however, the supporters have made it feel more like home. The atmosphere has improved since the return of crowds in 2021 and everybody seems to be benefiting. Memories are being created and additions outside the stadium, including Wenger’s statue and new artwork, have also solidified the connection between the club and its people.” – Art de Roche, Arsenal correspondent
Verdict: The Emirates has its critics but it now delivers the atmosphere, facilities, accessibility and product any sports fan would expect from the Premier League.
3. Old Trafford
Team: Manchester United
Capacity: 74,031
First used: 1910
The embodiment of Manchester United’s original Premier League success. The stadium ballooned to its current size — the third largest in the United Kingdom and 14th in Europe — due in part to their domination of the division. Redevelopments ceased in 2006 and Old Trafford is in need of renovation simply to return to its previous standards.
Best bits: The scale of the place is mighty and it comes with a special atmosphere. Most views inside the stadium are excellent and outside, United’s rich history is embraced by statues of Sir Matt Busby, three of their 1968 European Cup winners (Sir Bobby Charlton, George Best and Denis Law), and a clock and plaque to remember the victims of the Munich air disaster.
Where it falls short: There are clear issues — parts look out of date, roofs leak following heavy rain and a lack of commercial areas is hitting revenue. Not all of that is a supporters’ concern, but it will form United’s opinion on whether to renovate or relocate. Surprisingly, there are some areas of restricted view and most of the stadium provides legroom that even those below average height might find a squeeze.
What I love about the place: “Redeveloping Old Trafford is essential. The last major upgrades were signed off before the Glazers took control. Despite this, the stadium itself remains one of huge character and history. Appearing on the Manchester horizon, its structure is distinctive and striking. Once inside, the proximity of the seats to each other and the pitch generates a crackling atmosphere.” — Laurie Whitwell, Manchester United correspondent
Oliver Kay says: “People were always a bit grudging about Old Trafford when it was in its pomp in the 2000s. A bit too shiny and perfect for traditional tastes. Stereotypes about daytrippers and corporate fans in executive boxes eating “their prawn sandwiches”, as Roy Keane famously put it. It was always a brilliant stadium though and it still is. It was so extensively modernised in the 1990s that it didn’t look, feel or smell as historic as Anfield, Goodison Park or Highbury. But it feels historic now. That’s one upside of neglect. The upside of a difficult decade on the pitch is a more raw, visceral atmosphere than commonly portrayed.”
Verdict: Old Trafford is a temple of English football and for as long as it is standing, it will be worth a visit.
2. St James’ Park
Team: Newcastle United
Capacity: 52,257
First used: 1892
The long-term home of Newcastle United, St James’ Park sits on a hill at the centre of the city. It is as if everything is drawn to the beacon that protrudes the skyline. The ground is lopsided given the vast redevelopment of two stands in 1998 and it can look architecturally cold and clinical, but it provides an atmosphere as authentic as any in the Premier League.
Best bits: That big-game aura and the fact you can see the ground from so many points in the city establishes its sense of importance. The stadium is equally impressive inside. It is one of the more respectful welcomes travelling supporters will receive, especially if you return the respect. You can do that by visiting three of the statues outside the stadium that mark the legendary contributions of Alan Shearer, Bobby Robson and Jackie Milburn.
Where it falls short: Away fans are put in a top tier as far away as possible from the action, which is unfair to those who make the trip and in conflict with rules that suggest away fans should be pitchside.
What I love about the place: “I can’t believe there’s a better atmosphere anywhere than St James’ Park right now: paint-peeling noise, the sensory overload of Wor Flags and, after so much division, everybody in it together. What makes the stadium so special is its location, slap-bang in the middle of the city, looming over it, setting the mood and once again drawing people towards it.” – George Caulkin, senior writer (based in Newcastle)
Verdict: The pride in Newcastle runs deep. Hence some of our north-east contingent questioning why St James’ Park isn’t top. It is one of the country’s proper football cathedrals and a fantastic place to watch a game.
1. Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
Team: Tottenham Hotspur
Capacity: 62,850
First used: 2019
The basics: London’s biggest club stadium was built on the spot of Spurs’ previous home for 118 years, White Hart Lane. A £1billion project to redevelop the north London site replaced one traditional football venue with a stunning, modern sibling. It was also built to become a London home for the NFL and includes a retractable gridiron.
Best bits: The little details that point out the geographical relevance to White Hart Lane, such as a white circle on the floor that marks the previous centre spot. Then there is the 17,500-capacity South Stand. Despite being a bowl, the raking, double-tier stand draws attention, creates atmosphere and provides the perfect canvas for a supporter mosaic.
Where it falls short: Modern can mean clinical and, at times, walking through the concourses you would be forgiven for thinking you were in an airport. Expensive stadiums often lead to expensive experiences and most Spurs supporters would lead their gripes with the cost of their matchday. Transport links on matchday can get clogged.
What I love about the place: “Spurs’ on-pitch performances may not have been the envy of Europe over recent years, but nobody could fail to be impressed by their stadium. It increased the capacity from 36,000, gave fans more spacious concourses, incredible pitch views from every position and, famously, pints that magically fill from the bottom. It hasn’t been an entirely positive transition — there has been little improvement to transport infrastructure and ticket prices are ludicrous – but there can be little doubt Spurs’ new home is the best in the Premier League.” – James Maw, editor and regular on The View from the Lane podcast
Verdict: Perhaps this is a victory for modern, commercialised football over the more organic qualities of its past. Still, sit inside the stadium and you soon realise its draw: an experience comparable to any live stadium sport across the world.
Full stadium scoring and rankings
Ranking Stadium Atmosphere score Atmosphere ranking Experience score Experience ranking Transport/location score Transport/location ranking Design/aesthetics score Design/aesthetics ranking 1
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
7
9
8.4
1
6.6
11
8.7
1
2
St James’ Park
7.4
4
7.6
2
8.1
1
7.9
3
3
Old Trafford
7.3
5
7.3
3
7.1
3
7.4
6
4
Emirates Stadium
6.7
12
7.3
3
7.7
2
7.6
5
5
Anfield
7.7
1
7.1
5
5.7
13
8.1
2
6
Molineux
7
9
7
6
7.1
3
7.4
6
7
Villa Park
7.2
6
6.5
10
5.7
15
7.2
8
8
Gtech Community Stadium
5.9
15
7
6
6.7
9
6.3
13
9
Stamford Bridge
6.1
13
6.4
12
7.1
3
6.6
10
10
London Stadium
5.8
16
6.5
10
7
6
6.5
11
11
Etihad
6
14
6.6
8
6.7
9
6.3
13
12
City Ground
6.8
11
5.8
14
6.8
8
5.8
17
13
Bramall Lane
7.2
6
5.7
15
6.3
12
6.2
15
14
Goodison Park
7.7
1
5
18
5.7
13
6.9
9
15
Craven Cottage
4.7
18
5.9
13
7
6
7.9
3
16
Amex Stadium
4.6
19
6.6
8
5.1
19
6.4
12
17
Turf Moor
5.8
16
5.7
15
5.5
17
6.2
15
18
Selhurst Park
7.5
3
4.3
19
5
20
4.3
19
19
Kenilworth Road
7.1
8
3.8
20
5.7
15
5
18
20
Vitality Stadium
4
20
5.3
17
5.3
18
4.3
19
(Top photo: Getty Images; design: Sam Richardson)
The New York Times
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I was once the next big thing at Chelsea – now I’m a CBD millionaire instead – Medical Marijuana Program Connection
A former Chelsea academy star has become a multi-millionaire in the world of CBD since bringing his anti-climactic football career to an end.
He was once tipped for big things after joining the Blues from Malmo in 2008, where he bagged an astonishing 97 goals in 33 matches for their Under 16s.
And he initially hit the ground running in English football, too, scoring seven goals in his first four games for Chelsea’s Under-18 side after making the move to London.
Injury eventually derailed his debut campaign, yet the Swedish forward enjoyed a superb second season to help Dermot Drummy’s side clinch the FA Youth Cup, getting on the scoresheet in their final win over Aston Villa.
However, the final two years of his time at Chelsea were plagued by fitness troubles as he continued to battle an ankle problem, blocking his desired path to the senior team.
A former Chelsea academy star has gone on to become a multi-millionaire in the world of CBD
Marko Mitrovic was tipped as the next big thing at Chelsea after impressing in their academy
Despite being offered an extension, Marko Mitrovic chose to leave in search of first-team football elsewhere upon the expiry of his contract in 2012.
He went on to enjoy brief stints with in Italy and Holland with second-tier sides Brescia and FC Eindhoven, as well as spells in Denmark, his native Serbia and Portugal, before making his last appearance in 2020 after less than 100 senior appearances across nine years.
After tearing…
MMP News Author
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Cristiano Ronaldo Is In Decline And Hurting Manchester United
BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 06: Cristiano Ronaldo of Manchester United during the Premier League … [+]
In the 88th minute of Manchester United’s 3-1 defeat to Aston Villa on Sunday Cristiano Ronaldo conceded a free-kick with a foul on Ezri Konsa.
The Portuguese legend’s tackle was late and allowed Villa to waste more time as they attempted to secure their first home league win over United for 27 years.
Ronaldo threw back his shoulders and screamed to the sky in frustration. A minute later he was convinced United should have been awarded a corner and again let out a cry of anguish and this time he angrily flung his arms around as well.
Ronaldo’s frustration was obviously not only about these two decisions going against him, but about his own declining form.
At Villa Park he was once again a shadow of the player he was in his prime, but also a shadow of the player he was even last season as he delivered another largely anonymous performance.
Ronaldo has enjoyed an incredible career, and could arguably be considered the greatest player of all-time, but he turns 38 in February and is beginning to look his age.
BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 06: Cristiano Ronaldo of Manchester United looks dejected during the … [+]
He can no longer beat players with trickery or pace; he knows it and doesn’t even attempt to, but last season he could get by with his intelligence, positioning and clinical finishing, but this season that appears to have deserted him as well.
In the final years of his own glorious career the former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson said, “I beat every other guy, but I can’t beat Father Time.”
Ronaldo has evaded Father Time these last few years, continuing to score at an incredible rate, but that cannot continue forever.
Ronaldo has scored just one goal in the Premier League this season, and overall has a record of just three goals in 16 games in all competitions.
When Tyson began to accept he was no longer the same explosive boxer he was in his youth he also said, “I felt like I was 120 years old. It’s over. I don’t want to disgrace the sport I love.”
It is still a long way from being over for Ronaldo and he can still offer something to a multitude of teams, but possibly not as a starter in a team with aspirations of finishing in the Premier League’s top four.
BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 06: Cristiano Ronaldo of Manchester United listens as manager Erik … [+]
Manchester United are struggling for goals this season, having scored just 18 in 13 Premier League games. In comparison the league leaders Arsenal have 31 league goals, and second-placed Manchester City have 39 league goals.
But Ronaldo is clearly not the solution to this problem, and his decline from last season when he managed 24 goals in all competitions is becoming increasingly stark.
In the first half of United’s loss at Villa Park Christen Eriksen lofted in a cross to present him with a chance he would have scored last season, but on this occasion he could only head the ball straight at the Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez.
In the second half Ronaldo had a chance in the Villa penalty area and fired it high over the bar to be serenaded by whistles from the opposition fans. A chance to recreate some of his old magic with a free-kick was also wasted as he hit it straight into the wall.
The Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag can quite clearly see Ronaldo’s decline for himself, and has opted to start most games in the Premier League without him.
However, with injuries to Antony and Jadon Sancho, and Anthony Martial only being fit enough for the bench he was forced to start him against Aston Villa.
BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 06: Lisandro Martinez of Manchester United looks on as Leon Bailey of … [+]
Ronaldo also started against Real Sociedad on Thursday, and although United triumphed 1-0 with a goal he helped to create for Alejandro Garnacho, he was unable to find the second goal they needed to automatically reach next year’s Europa League round of sixteen. The effort was there but the quality was absent.
In a surprise move Ten Hag appointed Ronaldo as his captain for the game at Aston Villa with Bruno Fernandes and Harry Maguire both missing, which was only two weeks after dropping him after he had refused to play against Tottenham.
But Ronaldo was unable to offer any real leadership, or even play as an example, being too consumed with his own frustrations as he desperately searched for some form.
It would be foolish to completely dismiss Ronaldo’s use to this United squad, and he still has the ability to make an impact and find a goal, but overall he offers so much less now.
Ronaldo’s dwindling mobility and pace were apparent last season, but he compensated for that with a steady supply of goals, but they too have disappeared this season.
Sam Pilger, Contributor
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Will Marsch follow Gerrard out of a job as fans lose patience?
Steven Gerrard lasted just 11 months as Aston Villa manager. Jesse Marsch might pass through Leeds United after an even shorter tenure with the club’s fans turning on the former RB Leipzig coach in recent games despite him being in charge for a mere eight months.
– Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, MLS, more (U.S.)
Managing a Premier League team is becoming harder at every level — even Thomas Tuchel lost his job at Chelsea earlier this season, just over a year after winning the Champions League. But succeeding at clubs that go into the season as neither title challengers nor relegation candidates appears to have become the hardest challenge of them all.
All those coaches employed by the so-called Big Six know exactly what will happen if they don’t succeed, but they at least go into the job knowing they are working for clubs with the financial power and attractiveness to potential signings to have a chance of achieving their targets. And at the other end, at those clubs who have either been promoted or who accept that Premier League survival is their only measure of success, the manager has a simple objective: stay up. Scott Parker’s dismissal at Bournemouth five games into the season, having secured promotion back to the Premier League three months earlier, was due to his repeated public questioning of the club’s recruitment strategy rather than a prolonged period of bad results although a 9-0 defeat at Liverpool almost certainly sealed his fate.
Yet teams such as Villa, Leeds and
Everton , who dispensed with Rafa Benitez after seven months last season after the former Liverpool boss lost 10 of 22 games in charge, are in an unenviable position. They have proud histories, huge fan bases and ambitions to re-create the successes of the past, yet lack the resources or patience to play the long game and build from the bottom up.Finishing 10th might be a sign of progress at such clubs, but only if it is a springboard for bigger, better and higher the next season. Unless you are a team such as Newcastle United, another club seeking to re-create more positive times from the past but one with the financial strength to build for today and tomorrow, it is almost impossible to succeed if you are in that middle ground of Premier League clubs.
Gerrard discovered that to his cost at Villa, losing his job after 40 games in charge in which he won 13 and lost 19. The former Liverpool captain cannot argue that he was successful at Villa Park, but the club invested only £63 million on new signings this summer (plus £27m on full-back Lucas Digne in January) and his biggest transfer, £28m defender Diego Carlos, has been out since the second game of the season due to injury. Gerrard’s gamble on Philippe Coutinho did not work out, with the £18m summer signing from Barcelona failing to have an impact after an initial bright spell on loan last season. But for a club of Villa’s stature and ambition, the summer outlay on new players was never likely to be transformative.
It is a similar story at Leeds, where Marsch lost midfielder Kalvin Phillips (to Manchester City) and forward Raphinha (Barcelona) for fees totalling almost £100m, while club-record signing Daniel James also left on loan to Fulham. The Elland Road recruitment team replaced them with a variety of players with little or no Premier League experience, such as Brenden Aaronson, Luis Sinisterra, Tyler Adams and Rasmus Kristensen. Having avoided relegation only on the final day of last season, Leeds arguably went into this season with a weaker squad after allowing three key players to leave in the summer, so it is no surprise that Marsch’s team would be struggling and now in the bottom three.
But Leeds, like Villa, have too proud a history for their fans to accept annual fights against relegation. The problem is, neither club is yet financially strong enough to be able to chase new glories with the kind of investment, on and off the pitch, that enables Eddie Howe to make such rapid strides at Newcastle.
Gerrard went after the fans turned on him at Fulham last week, chanting “You’re getting sacked in the morning” as they watched their team lose 3-0 at Craven Cottage. Marsch was subjected to the same supporter anger after his side also lost, 3-2 at home, against Fulham on Sunday.
Hearing fans sing the name of a previous manager is another bad sign, and Marsch has heard Marcelo Bielsa’s name chanted several times in recent weeks. Sources told ESPN on Friday that Marsch was in no imminent danger of losing his job at Elland Road, but Premier League management is all about the shifting sands of results and the backing of supporters. Marsch is in negative territory in both of those key metrics.
It was the same story for Gerrard who, having arrived at Villa Park to great fanfare last November after proving his credentials by guiding Rangers to the Scottish Premiership title in 2021, was fired within minutes of the 3-0 defeat at Craven Cottage this past Thursday. Whomever Villa appoint to replace Gerrard will discover the same problems, and there might also be a new coach at Leeds soon charged with bridging the gap between expectation and reality.
But if clubs appoint managers and then fail to sign players good enough to make a difference, it will always be a story of diminishing returns followed by another roll of the managerial dice.
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The Argentine Football Association Presents Duelbits as Online Betting Regional Sponsor
Press Release
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Sep 6, 2022
WILLEMSTAD, Curaçao, September 6, 2022 (Newswire.com)
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AFA and Duelbits, the online betting platform, have entered into a commercial agreement for the South American territory (except Argentina), through which the company becomes a Regional Sponsor of the National Teams.This agreement reinforces the sponsorship platform for national teams, adding a new category and territory to expand the reach of the AFA brand in different South American countries.
Claudio Tapia, President of AFA, highlighted, “In all these years of management, we have developed a strong expansion of the AFA brand, obtaining a global reach. Thanks to this work, we can build agreements with important brands that today find in AFA a strategic partner for their marketing plans, not only in Argentina but in the rest of the continent and the world. We welcome Duelbits to our National Team sponsorship program and wish them every success.”
Ross Haffie, Duelbits SportsBook Head, said: “Duelbits is delighted to be an online regional betting sponsor of the Argentine Football Association. This is a landmark deal for us, and we are very excited to work closely with the team over the next 12 months. Also, this is a great year for Argentina, and we want to wish them the best of luck in Qatar.”
Leandro Petersen, Commercial Marketing Director of AFA, added: “Today we are pleased to announce this commercial agreement with Duelbits, becoming the first national team to work alongside them. The process of global expansion that we started four years ago grows day by day, increasing the volume of income of our Association and expanding our horizons and our commercial frontiers.”
ABOUT DUELBITS
Duelbits.com is a crypto casino and sportsbook aiming to bring users the most rewarding gambling experience. Founded in 2020 and despite the COVID19 crisis, Duelbits has grown into a well-known casino brand, particularly within the crypto niche. Duelbits’ ambition is to become a niche global brand, offering users better rewards and an easy-to-use product, all accompanied by the crypto element, allowing users fast and secure payments. They have recently become the “Official European Betting Partner” of Premier League Club Aston Villa and the Official Betting Partner of the biggest South American Esports organisation “Pain Gaming“.
Contact: ryan@bullpen.co
Source: DuelBits
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Aston Villa Announces Partnership With Duelbits
Press Release
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Aug 16, 2022
WILLEMSTAD, Curaçao, August 16, 2022 (Newswire.com)
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Duelbits is delighted to team up with Aston Villa Football Club for the 2022/23 Premier League season.The agreement sees Duelbits become the Official European Betting Partner of the former European Cup winners.
A major aspect of the deal will be the digital communication of the partnership. Duelbits will see their branding on pitch-side LED advertising boards during domestic games at the historic Villa Park, garnering major exposure for the brand. Duelbits will be represented on Aston Villa’s social networks & the homepage.
The partnership allows Duelbits to gain unrivaled access to Aston Villa’s fantastic squad of players, with exciting social & digital content already in the works.
Aston Villa is a club steeped in history & Duelbits hopes to be a contributor to their success this season.
Marco Pinnisi, Chief Marketing Officer at Duelbits, said: “Duelbits is made by individuals passionate about sports and casino games. We launched our sportsbook in late December 2021 with the product being completely developed in-house by a team of leading industry experts. The deeply immersive and intuitive product is made for both new as well as experienced sportsbook players. Duelbits aims to continually develop a strong sportsbook that can be compared to leading bookmakers in the market. We felt it was the right time to give the brand the visibility it deserved, and we couldn’t see a better way than sponsoring one of the most well-known EPL clubs. This partnership underlines Duelbits’ desire to work with the most prestigious sports brands.
“Whilst we are a young brand, we wanted to be associated with a historical club, creating a great mixture between heritage and new generation sportsbook. We are extremely excited and honoured to support such a legendary club, and we are sure this great mixture will be particularly engaging for our users and Aston Villa fans”.
Duelbits.co.uk will be offering sportsbook, casino and gaming in partnership with TGP Europe and licensed by the U.K. Gambling Commission.
About Duelbits.com is a crypto casino and sportsbook aiming to bring users the most rewarding gambling experience. Founded in 2020 and despite the COVID-19 crisis, Duelbits has grown from 10 to more than 35 employees worldwide, becoming a well-known casino brand, particularly within the crypto niche. Duelbits’ ambition is to become a niche global brand, offering users better rewards and an easy-to-use product, all accompanied by the crypto element, allowing users fast and secure payments.
About Aston Villa Football Club
Founded in 1874, Aston Villa Football Club is a founding member of the Football League and a leading institution in the English game. One of only five English clubs to have been crowned champions of Europe, the team has historically enjoyed exceptional success domestically, including seven First Division Championships, seven FA Cup titles, and five Football League Cups.
A club of the future, AVFC is committed to innovating technologically, on and off the pitch, providing best-in-class experience for fans and leading the football industry for best practice. United behind the club values of Pride, Passion and Purpose, Aston Villa Football Club continually thrives to push the boundaries of what a football club should be.
Contact: marco@duelbits.com
Source: Duelbits