Why Manchester City fans have the best match day experience at Etihad Stadium
A new study has revealed that Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium provides the seventh-best matchday experience for football fans across all Premier League grounds.
The research, conducted by trusted ticket comparison site SeatPick, examined all 20 Premier League venues based on four factors that can make or break a day out: beer prices, season ticket costs, visitor ratings, and the number of pubs within a kilometre of the stadium.
Top 10 Premier League Stadiums for Fan Experience
| Rank | Stadium | Club | Cheapest Pint | Cheapest Season Ticket | Google Rating | Pubs Within 1km | Overall Score |
| 1 | Anfield | Liverpool | £3.30 | £713 | 4.7 | 33 | 78.65 |
| 2 | Old Trafford | Manchester United | £3.00 | £608 | 4.6 | 11 | 71.08 |
| 3 | St James’ Park | Newcastle | £4.90 | £695 | 4.6 | 106 | 68.38 |
| 4 | Molineux | Wolves | £5.00 | £525 | 4.6 | 29 | 64.91 |
| 5 | Turf Moor | Burnley | £3.20 | £352 | 4.4 | 7 | 62.42 |
| 6 | City Ground | Nottingham Forest | £5.20 | £575 | 4.7 | 11 | 61.96 |
| 7 | Etihad Stadium | Manchester City | £4.60 | £425 | 4.6 | 6 | 61.17 |
| 8 | Elland Road | Leeds United | £5.00 | £495 | 4.6 | 12 | 60.31 |
| 9 | London Stadium | West Ham | £3.90 | £345 | 4.4 | 10 | 59.67 |
| 10 | GTech Community Stadium | Brentford | £5.25 | £495 | 4.6 | 14 | 59.42 |
Anfield topped the table with 78.65 out of 100 points. The home of Liverpool FC scored well with its Google rating of 4.7 and performed strongly with reasonably priced pints at £3.30. Though season tickets cost £713, the overall experience benefited greatly from having 33 pubs within walking distance for pre-match atmospherics.
Old Trafford secured second place with 71.08 points in the stadium rankings. Manchester United’s ground serves up the Premier League’s cheapest pints at just £3.00 and offers season tickets from £608. The stadium has only 11 nearby pubs – far fewer than most rivals – yet its performance across other categories was enough to claim the runner-up spot.
St James’ Park took third with 68.38 points overall. Newcastle United’s stadium has a staggering 106 pubs within walking distance – more than triple the number around Anfield. This exceptional pre-match drinking scene helped balance out its relatively high £4.90 pint price inside the ground.
Wolves’ Molineux landed fourth with 64.91 points. The West Midlands venue combines 29 nearby pubs with decent value season tickets costing £525.
Burnley’s Turf Moor completed the top five, scoring 62.42. The Lancashire ground sells some of the cheapest pints in the league at £3.20 and offers the second most affordable season tickets at just £352.
Rounding out the top ten are Nottingham Forest (61.96), Manchester City (61.17), Leeds United (60.31), West Ham (59.67), and Brentford (59.42). The latter two clubs put an end to the Northern Dominance, with both West Ham and Brentford being London-based.
Bottom 10 Premier League Stadiums for Fan Experience
| Rank | Stadium | Club | Cheapest Pint | Cheapest Season Ticket | Google Rating | Pubs Within 1km | Overall Score |
| 20 | Selhurst Park | Crystal Palace | £5.00 | £600 | 4.3 | 8 | 35.65 |
| 19 | Vitality Stadium | Bournemouth | £4.25 | £674 | 4.4 | 2 | 36.4 |
| 18 | Emirates Stadium | Arsenal | £6.35 | £1,127 | 4.6 | 36 | 36.95 |
| 17 | American Express Stadium | Brighton | £4.95 | £610 | 4.5 | 2 | 39.48 |
| 16 | Villa Park | Aston Villa | £5.20 | £672 | 4.5 | 4 | 39.99 |
| 15 | Craven Cottage | Fulham | £5.80 | £486 | 4.5 | 11 | 47.83 |
| 14 | Stamford Bridge | Chelsea | £5.70 | £880 | 4.6 | 35 | 49.52 |
| 13 | Stadium of Light | Sunderland | £4.10 | £490 | 4.4 | 12 | 54.69 |
| 12 | Tottenham Hotspur Stadium | Tottenham | £5.10 | £856 | 4.7 | 15 | 55.68 |
| 11 | Hill Dickinson Stadium | Everton | £5.00 | £730 | 4.6 | 22 | 56.62 |
At the other end of the scale, Crystal Palace’s Selhurst Park ranked as the worst stadium for fan experience, with a poor score of just 35.65. The South London ground received the lowest Google rating in the Premier League at 4.3 and has only 8 pubs within a kilometre.
Bournemouth’s Vitality Stadium placed 19th with 36.40 points. The Cherries’ home ground suffers from having only 2 pubs within walking distance – tied for fewest in the league – and charges £674 for its cheapest season ticket.
Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium came 18th overall with 36.95 points. The North London venue has the most expensive pints in the Premier League at £6.35 and the priciest season tickets at £1,127 – more than three times higher than the cheapest option at West Ham’s London Stadium (£345).
Brighton’s American Express Stadium finished 17th with 39.48 points. The Seagulls’ home suffers from its isolated location, with only 2 nearby pubs and steep pint prices at £4.95.
Aston Villa’s Villa Park rounded out the bottom five with 39.99 points. The Birmingham stadium has just 4 pubs within a kilometre and charges high prices for both pints (£5.20) and season tickets (£672).
Fifteenth to eleventh were taken by Fulham (47.83), Chelsea (49.52), Sunderland (54.69), Tottenham (55.68) and Everton (56.62). With this data being based on Everton’s new Hill Dickinson Stadium, reviews are limited and will surely impact their standing over the coming seasons.
The data revealed striking regional patterns across the league. Northern clubs dominated the top spots, with seven of the top ten stadiums located in the north of England. London venues performed poorly, with four of the capital’s five stadiums landing in the bottom seven positions.
West Ham’s London Stadium bucked the trend among London clubs, ranking 9th overall with 59.67 points. It offers the most affordable season tickets in the Premier League at £345 and reasonable pints at £3.90.
Gilad Zilberman, CEO of SeatPick, commented on the findings:
“These results show clear differences in the match day experience across Premier League grounds. The stadiums that perform best tend to balance affordability with strong visitor satisfaction and good pre-match options nearby.
“Northern clubs have done particularly well at creating an affordable and enjoyable experience for supporters. Liverpool’s Anfield stands out as the gold standard, combining reasonable prices with excellent facilities and an atmosphere that visitors clearly appreciate.
“For fans planning their away trips this season, looking beyond just the fixture itself to consider these other factors could make a big difference to their overall experience.”
