How Sunderland’s Stadium of Light compares to their Premier League rivals and European giants
They are also destined to visit some of the country’s biggest stadiums on their travels this season, even if they’ve not visited one of the big boys yet. Home form is crucial for any side but it is of most importance for a club returning to the top-flight for many years and wanting to preserve that status this season. And the benefit Sunderland have over a lot of other sides who gain promotion from the Champions is that they have such a passionate and devoted fanbase that turn up for them, home and away, rain or shine.
Regis Le Bris’ side have picked up points in five of their seven games to begin this season, a fantastic record which sees them sitting in the top half of the table as the Premier League returns after its second international break of the campaign. That run of form includes two wins and a draw from their opening three league games at home and is seeing the Mackems turn the Stadium of Light into the kind of fortress any newly promoted side needs to retain their Premier League status.
But how does the raucous Stadium of Light’s attendance compare to their Premier League rivals so far this season?
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Premier League home attendance rankings
73.965, Old Trafford - Manchester United
62,459 London Stadium - West Ham United
60,955 Tottenham Hotspur Stadium - Tottenham Hotspur
60,771 Anfield - Liverpool
60,155 Emirates Stadium - Arsenal
52,249 Etihad Stadium - Manchester City
52,191 St. James’ Park - Newcastle United
51,883 Hil Dickinson Stadium - Everton
46,254 Stadium of Light - Sunderland
41,055 Villa Park - Aston Villa
39,697 Stamford Bridge - Chelsea
36,706 Elland Road - Leeds United
31,484 AMEX Stadium - Brighton & Hove Albion
30,425 Molineux Stadium - Wolverhampton Wanderers
30,130 City Ground - Nottingham Forest
26,984 Craven Cottage - Fulham
25,049 Selhurst Park - Crystal Palace
21,479 Turf Moor - Burnley
16,964 Gtech Community Stadium - Brentford
11,154 Vitality Stadium - Bournemouth
Stadium of Light compared to European giants
Sunderland’s Stadium of Light ranks 9th in the Premier League for average home attendance, which is a respectable figure, and compared to some European giants, it’s also dwarfed in size. Spain’s Madrid giants have mega attendances with the recently renovated Bernabeu averaging 72,447 spectators - a figure which would sit second in the English top-flight - and their fierce rivals Atletico Madrid taking in 61,487 at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano.
However, Sunderland have trounced one of the biggest clubs in the world, Barcelona, in attendance this season as they have only been averaging 20,559, which would in the relegation zone of Premier League stadia. But the simple explanation for this is that it is due to the Spotify Camp Nou, Barcelona’s home ground, undergoing renovation, which has been delayed, meaning they have had to play games at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys and Johan Cruyff Stadium this year, which only holds a measly 6,000 until the building work is complete.
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