Liverpool have already set £200m blueprint for Evangelos Marinakis's Nottingham Forest masterplan
For Premier League clubs, the importance of making the most out of their home ground has taken on increasingly greater significance in recent years.
Tottenham Hotspur spent £1.2bn on a new world-class home that they took up residence in back in 2019, Manchester City are set to enhance their Etihad Stadium home, Manchester United are looking at a potential new 100,000-seater stadium in the coming years, Chelsea have plans for a new home, Everton move into a new 52,888-seater stadium at the start of next season, while Liverpool have spent £200m in revamping Anfield over the last eight years.
The revenue attached to stadiums has become more and more critical to football clubs through both matchday revenue and commercial income, but it is also the fan experience that they provide that can be a positive driving force when it comes to maximising revenue opportunities on a matchday.
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Event insurance specialists Protectivity, analysed Google reviews for the 20 Premier League stadiums according to the 2024/2025 season, as well as for the three teams relegated last season. They looked at which stadiums had the highest proportion of five-star Google reviews left by visitors to determine their ranking.
Anfield was crowned as the highest-rated Premier League stadium, with 86.99% of all reviews rated five stars, a huge 39,293 out of 45,171 reviews. Additionally, only 3.48% of all reviews were listed as one star for Liverpool’s home ground, which scores 4.7 out of five on Google overall.
Following in second was Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with 84.33%, or 17,441 out of 20,683 Google reviews, being five stars. Just 3.51% of reviews for the stadium were listed as one star and it scored an impressive 4.7 out of five rating overall on Google. The North London stadium hosted Beyoncé’s Renaissance World Tour earlier this year for several dates and also holds a long-term contract with the NFL to host some of its overseas regular-season games when they arrive on English soil.
But despite having a home far smaller and older than many of their rivals in the Premier League, Nottingham Forest’s famous City Ground has ranked third on the list.
The City Ground ranks as the third highest-rated Premier League stadium, with 80.76%, or 1,230 out of 1,523 of users leaving five-star reviews. Just 3.35% of reviews for Forest. home stadium rated it as one-star.
The ranking leans heavily on clubs’ ability to engage with its supporters through fan zones and other initiatives that help to foster long-term relationships with fans of all ages, crucial for club growth.
Old Trafford ranks fourth with 80.53% of visitors leaving 5-star reviews. Manchester United’s home ground had 4.27% of reviews left with a one-star rating and scores 4.6 out of five overall on Google. This year Old Trafford has hosted several big-name artists, including Green Day, Foo Fighters, and the Arctic Monkeys, with minority shareholder Sir Jim Ratcliffe spearheading the vision to build a new stadium on land adjacent to the current home, with a potential capacity of 100,000 mooted.
Rounding out the top five is Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium, where 79.08% of reviews rated it five stars. In more recent years, the stadium has seen the Arctic Monkeys and The Killers perform live gigs.
Speaking on the findings, Sean Walsh, head of marketing at Protectivity, said:
“Exploring which stadiums are the highest rated by visitors is interesting as high ratings often reflect an exceptional fan experience.
Visitors tend to appreciate aspects such as comfortable seating, clear sightlines, accessibility, and the overall atmosphere.
“Stadiums with high review satisfaction often excel in fan engagement, offering various activities, fan zones, and interactive experiences. They foster a sense of community and belonging, which is crucial for building long-term loyalty among fans.
“Comparing stadium ratings can provide benchmarks and best practices. Stadiums with lower ratings can learn from the top-rated ones to improve their own facilities and services.”
Luton Town’s Kenilworth Road was at the other end of the scale and found to be the lowest-rated Premier League stadium, with just 62.21% of reviews being five stars. A sizeable 10.64% of reviews were found to rate Luton’s home ground just one star.
Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis revealed earlier this year that he wanted to relocate the club to a new stadium, with an area in Toton cited. It's since been agreed that the club will stay at the City Ground, but should that come to pass in the future, maintaining the same levels of fan engagement would further aid the Forest cause.