Finally, we can put this debate to bed
How often do you log on to social media and see debates about which club is bigger? Very often, probably.
You might argue that it’s futile, but it’s also an intriguing conversation. By what measure should we define the ‘size’ of a football club? Global reach? Historic success? Current ability? There are a multitude of factors at play which makes it a complex discussion.
So let’s take one aspect of it: online searches. If the Premier League table were based on the quantity of Google searches that each team received – rather than how many points earned on the pitch – how would it look? As you may have guessed, Manchester United would have fared a lot better in 2018.
New research shows that United would top the Google Search Premier League, retaining their crown in 2017. Their rivals Liverpool, meanwhile, have climbed up two places to second.
Arsenal and Chelsea take the other two sacred spots in the top four, with the Blues dropping down two places from last year.
Manchester City, for all their spending and having the world’s best coach, could only muster a fifth place finish, with Tottenham lagging behind in sixth. An injustice considering how well both teams have played over the past year, if you ask me.
The abyss of midtable is made up of the usual suspects while, writing as a Crystal Palace fan, it’s no surprise to see Brighton and Hove Albion sit rock bottom.
The full table is as follows:
1. Man Utd
2. Liverpool
3. Arsenal
4. Chelsea
5. Man City
6. Tottenham
7. Everton
8. West Ham
9. Leicester City
10. Wolves
11. Newcastle Utd
12. Southampton
13. Fulham
14. Watford
15. Burnley
16. Bournemouth
17. Crystal Palace
18. Cardiff
19. Huddersfield
20. Brighton & Hove Albion
