Survey reveals the most stressful football clubs to support - Chelsea, Newcastle and Man Utd fans have it worst

BrownsCBD analysed the performance of all twenty top flight sides in the 2023/24 campaign, looking at factors such as last-minute goals, injuries, managerial changes, opponents scoring first, and games where the result fell below expectations. The data has revealed a ‘stress score’ out of 100 based on these stats.

Chelsea were the most stressful club to support with a score of 74.4. They suffered the second most injuries in the league, changed manager, and lost eight games they were expected to win.

Defeats at the hands of the likes of Wolves, Brentford, and Nottingham Forest in the first half of the season won’t have helped fans’ nerves, particularly after watching their owners break the British transfer record with the signing of Moises Caicedo for over £100m. One spectator tweeted this after their humiliating 5-0 defeat to Arsenal in April:

Though results picked up towards the end of the campaign, with the Blues finishing sixth and qualifying for the Uefa Conference League, hopes of a smoother season this year look to be in vain so far. Now under the stewardship of Enzo Maresca, Chelsea lost to Manchester City on the opening day of the season and have been swamped with transfer sagas and criticism of their huge squad.

Newcastle United were runners-up in the stress table at 71.8. After qualifying for the Champions League in the previous campaign, it ended up being a maddening season to support the Magpies as they fell to a seventh-place finish this season and were squeezed out of European competition. The data shows that Eddie Howe’s side lost seven games they were expected to win, second only to Chelsea, suffered 41 injuries, and kept fans on the edge of their seats with goals in the last 15 minutes of 17 of their games.

No fan will soon forget Oscar Bobb’s stoppage time winner to snatch three points for Manchester City in their encounter in January, or Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s 88th-minute penalty to draw Everton level with them in April. Last-minute goals might be one of the most entertaining aspects of the Premier League - but not when you’re on the receiving end.

Likewise, Manchester United fans endured somewhat more excitement than they’d like last season. They were third most stressful to support with a score of 67.8 - they experienced the most injuries in the league and recorded their worst ever Premier League finish in 8th place. Erik Ten Hag’s side also lost seven and drew three games they were expected to win, with lowlights including a dismal draw with Brentford. At the Gtech Community Stadium in March, the Reds looked to have salvaged three (admittedly undeserved) points with a 96th-minute Mason Mount goal - only to concede in the 99th minute.

Their 4-3 loss to Chelsea probably took years off the life of both teams’ fans, with United coming back from 2-0 down to lead the Blues and then letting in two Cole Palmer goals after 100 minutes played.

It was one of 19 games where they conceded first, giving supporters a good scare; it was not the finest Premier League season to be a Manchester United fan.

Despite results not going their way, the newly promoted (and immediately relegated) teams Sheffield United, Luton Town, and Burnley recorded the lowest stress scores - possibly due to modest expectations in the first place. Though the trio lost 76 league matches between them, the study says only the Blades lost a game they were the ‘likely winner’ of. Perhaps there’s something to be said for setting the bar low, although this stress score doesn’t take account of the frustrations of being relegated again - fans might argue that was more trying than any of the drama at the top of the table.

Champions Manchester City sat mid-table for once, coming in 10th in the stress score rankings with 42.96. Despite winning their fourth successive title, they still managed to give their fans some shocks with late goals in 16 games and 26 injuries. The title race went down to the final day of the campaign, with City pipping Arsenal by just two points. Despite finishing second best in the nail-biting contest, it was actually less stressful to be a Gunner than a Cityzen - Arsenal’s stress score came in at 40.08. They conceded first fewer times than City, and dropped points (either by losing or drawing) in eight games they were expected to win whereas Guardiola’s side did so in 10 games.

As the new season gets underway, fans will hope - in vain - that this is one table their team won’t top.