Year in Review 2023: Yahoo Singapore readers' top 10 most-searched English Premier League clubs
The EPL is easily the most-watched football league in Singapore, but which of the big clubs can claim to be the most-searched in the country?
SINGAPORE — The English Premier League (EPL) has been a constant source of sports entertainment in Singapore since its inception in 1992. Fans have built their weekend activities around the live match telecasts - pre-match kickabouts, drinks at pub screenings, and even setting up fan clubs to chat about their favourite teams.
A survey by Yahoo earlier in the year also found that the EPL was the most-watched football league in Singapore. So it should come as no surprise that another favourite pastime of these fans is to search online for the latest news and factoids of their EPL clubs.
But which clubs are fans searching for in the country? Here are the top 10 most-searched EPL clubs of Yahoo Singapore readers in our Year in Review:
10. Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest are one of only six English football clubs to have won the prestigious European Cup (now the Uefa Champions League), winning it twice in 1979 and 1980 under beloved manager Brian Clough. They have amassed a devoted fan base who continued to support them even when they were relegated from the EPL in 1999.
There were cheers all around the world when Forest finally returned to the top division in 2022. Current manager Steve Cooper has built a side that plays attractive football, and while results have been inconsistent in their first season back in the EPL, Forest garnered enough victories to stave off relegation.
9. Leeds United
Like Forest, Leeds United are a traditionally well-supported club that had enjoyed their glory days decades ago. They won three English top-tier league titles (1968/69, 1973/74 and 1991/92) and built a reputation as a fearsomely-rugged outfit with tough-tackling players such as Billy Bremner, Norman Hunter and Johnny Giles.
However, the turn of the century saw Leeds fall into financial mismanagement, and they were relegated from the EPL in 2004, falling as far as League One in 2007. They were promoted back to the EPL in 2020 under Argentinian manager Marcelo Bielsa, but dropped back to the Championship at the end of the 2022/23 season.
8 Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham are another beloved English football institution, but unlike Forest and Leeds, they have never been relegated from the EPL. They have also yet to win the league despite several close calls, but still retain their loyal global fan base with their commitment to playing entertaining football.
In recent years, Spurs tried to engineer a league title push with top talents like Harry Kane and Son Heung-min, but again fell short under numerous managers - Mauricio Pochettino, Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte. Conte resigned in March and Kane decided to join Bayern Munich before the current EPL season, but new manager Ange Postecoglou has kept the north London club competitive for the top spots in the league.
7. Manchester City
The current dominant club in England, Manchester City have swept to seven EPL titles since 2012, following the ownership takeover of the oil-rich Abu Dhabi United Group in 2008. It is a far cry from their struggling years in the 1980s and 1990s when they endured several relegations to the lower divisions.
This past year has seen City becoming even more dominant, as they steamrolled to a historic Treble - winning the EPL, FA Cup and Champions League all in one season. But even as they are gunning for an unprecedented fourth EPL title in a row under Pep Guardiola, they continue to lag in terms of global fan support. behind the likes of city rivals Manchester United and Liverpool.
6. Everton
A founder member of the English Football League in 1888, Everton have been a top-flight mainstay for much of their long history. Winners of nine top-flight league titles, the Toffees have an intense rivalry with city neighbours Liverpool, and the Merseyside derby between the two sides have always been one of the must-watch matches of any EPL season.
Yet, the club have floundered in recent seasons, spending millions on players but unable to shape a cohesive unit to challenge for honours. Managers have come and gone with little success, and Everton narrowly escaped their first-ever EPL relegation with a win on the final day of the 2022/23 season, only to incur a 10-point deduction for the current season for breaches of the league's profit and sustainability rules.
5. Newcastle United
Throughout the history of the EPL, Newcastle's fortunes have shifted wildly, from being title contenders all the way to being relegation scrappers. The Magpies were league or FA Cup runners-up on four occasions in the 1990s, but were also relegated in 2009 and 2016.
Since returning to top-flight in 2017, they have meandered about under the much-criticised ownership of Mike Ashley, but things changed dramatically in 2021 when the club were sold to a consortium led by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund. Flushed with financial strength, Newcastle assembled a strong squad led by astute manager Eddie Howe, and finished fourth in the 2022/23 season to qualify for the Champions League for the first time in 20 years.
4. Chelsea
Chelsea ascended to the top tier of EPL clubs after Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich bought the London club in 2003. Since then, the Blues have won every major title at stake: the EPL (five times), the FA Cup (five times), the League Cup (three times), the Europa League (twice) and the Champions League (twice).
In 2022, however, amid British government's sanctions on Russian oligarchs like Abramovich due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Chelsea were sold to an American consortium led by Todd Boehly. The upheaval off the pitch was matched by struggles on the pitch, as the Blues finished at the bottom half of the EPL in the 2023/23 season, the first time it has happened since 1995/96.
While the new owners have continued to splash cash on new players - as well as hire new manager Pochettino - Chelsea have yet to regain the consistency that was the hallmark of their title-winning years.
3. Arsenal
The most successful London club with 13 top-tier league titles and a record 14 FA Cup triumphs, Arsenal are also perennial top-tier mainstays, having been relegated only once in their history, way back in 1913. In the EPL era, they enjoyed success under manager Arsene Wenger, winning the league three times (1997/98, 2001/02 and 2003/04) - their unbeaten 2003/04 season still a feat that has not been replicated since.
In recent years, however, trophies have somewhat dried up for the Gunners in the league, with only a smattering of FA Cup wins for the fans to shout about. So it was a welcome surprise when Arsenal vaulted into title contention in the 2022/23 season under manager Mikel Arteta, holding top spot for much of the season until Man City made a successful late-season charge to overtake the Gunners.
Despite the unsuccessful title bid, Arsenal have whetted their fans' appetite with a squad brimming with exciting talents like Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Martinelli. And with the addition of midfield dynamo Declan Rice for the new season, they are again vying for the league title with Man City and Liverpool. Will they be able to end their EPL title drought?
2. Liverpool
With a trophy-laden history and a massive global fan base, Liverpool are undoubtedly one of the most well-known teams in the world. With 19 top-tier English league titles, eight FA Cups and a record nine League Cup wins, the Merseyside club's domestic success is matched by its European mastery - no other English club can match the Reds' six European Cup triumphs.
Under manager Jurgen Klopp, Liverpool finally ended their 30-year domestic league title drought when they clinched the 2019/20 EPL title, breaking Man City's iron grip on the trophy. When the Reds clinched the League Cup and FA Cup in the 2021/22 season, they completed the trophy set for Klopp - winning every major trophy since he assumed the hot seat in 2015.
However, things did not go well for Liverpool in the 2022/23 season. Beset by injuries and poor form from veterans, the Reds could only finish fifth in the league, and a rebuild began in the off-season. Since then, they looked to be back in title contention with the help of new signings such as Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister.
1. Manchester United
Manchester United are undoubtedly the most successful club in the EPL era, with 13 of their 20 top-flight league title won amid the managerial tenure of the legendary Alex Ferguson. Their unparalleled league success - together with EPL's exploding global popularity - made them one of the most popular clubs globally with millions of fans around the world.
Yet, the last decade has been disappointing compared to their heydays in the 1990s and 2000s. Poor manager hirings and player acquisitions have made Man United a shell of their former dominant selves, and their fans could only seethe at the revivals of fierce rivals Man City and Liverpool.
Things were finally looking up with the hiring of new boss Erik ten Hag, who immediately won the League Cup and took the Red Devils to a third-place finish in his first season in 2022/23. Yet, the current season has seen United slipping back to mediocrity, as ten Hag struggles with misfiring players and rumbles of discontent in the dressing room. Can he steady the ship, or will he be axed?
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