How do fans of Premier League clubs currently feel about their club and their hopes?
With just under two months of the season to go, who are the most optimistic and who are the most pessimistic?
The Athletic have carried out a survey during this international break, then presenting a ‘Premier League Hope-o-meter’ for the rest of the 2025-26 season, which reveals optimism and pessimism levels at all 20 clubs.
The fanbases of all 20 Premier League clubs asked – Are you now feeling optimistic or pessimistic for the rest of the 2025/26 season?
The Athletic surveying thousands of their paying subscribers, who support the 20 Premier League clubs.
How do fans of each Premier League club feel about the rest of the season, optimistic or pessimistic? (3 April 2026)
| Rank | Club | Pessimism Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chelsea | 92.4% |
| 2 | Tottenham Hotspur | 87.1% |
| 3 | Liverpool | 77.8% |
| 4 | Newcastle United | 60.5% |
| 5 | Fulham | 37.5% |
| 6 | West Ham United | 28.4% |
| 7 | Leeds United | 27.5% |
| 8 | Crystal Palace | 27.5% |
| 9 | Wolves | 27.2% |
| 10 | Burnley | 25.5% |
| 11 | Manchester City | 20.3% |
| 12 | Brentford | 15.9% |
| 13 | Arsenal | 15.9% |
| 14 | Bournemouth | 15.4% |
| 15 | Nottingham Forest | 9.9% |
| 16 | Aston Villa | 4.5% |
| 17 | Brighton | 3.4% |
| 18 | Manchester United | 3.1% |
| 19 | Everton | 2.3% |
| 20 | Sunderland | 1.4% |
As you can see, at the very top of the pessimists:
Chelsea fans 7.6% optimistic and 92.4% pessimistic
Tottenham fans 12.9% optimistic and 87.1% pessimistic
Liverpool fans 22.2% optimistic and 77.8% pessimistic
Newcastle United fans 39.5% optimistic and 60.5% pessimistic
Whilst at the other end, the fanbases now top of the optimists:
Sunderland fans 98.6% optimistic and 1.4% pessimistic
Everton fans 97.7% optimistic and 2.3% pessimistic
Man U fans 96.9% optimistic and 3.1% pessimistic
Brighton fans 96.6% optimistic and 3.4% pessimistic
Interesting though to compare this to how fans of the 20 Premier League clubs felt before this 2025/26 season kicked off.
The Athletic on 13 August 2025 published results of whether the fans of the 20 Premier League clubs felt positive or negative ahead of the 2025/26 season:
Back then (13 August 2025) at the very top of the pessimists:
Newcastle United fans 19% optimistic and 81% pessimistic
Wolves fans 32% optimistic and 68% pessimistic
West Ham fans 39% optimistic and 61% pessimistic
Fulham fans 44% optimistic and 56% pessimistic
Whilst at the other end, the fanbases (on 13 August 2025) that were top of the optimists:
Chelsea fans 98% optimistic and 2% pessimistic
Liverpool fans 97% optimistic and 3% pessimistic
Brighton fans 95% optimistic and 5% pessimistic
Sunderland fans 91% optimistic and 9% pessimistic
Compare and contrast
So in actual fact, The Athletic surveys show that more Newcastle United fans are feeling optimistic now, compared to before the season started!
Back in mid-August 2025 only 19% of Newcastle United fans optimistic and a huge 81% pessimistic, those stats changing now to currently 39% NUFC fans optimistic and 61% pessimistic.
Newcastle United fans before the season started were the most pessimistic of all 20 fanbases!
The Newcastle United owners making such a shambles of summer 2025, totally failing to deal with the Alexander Isak situation, the NUFC owners badly letting down Eddie Howe. The transfer window a shambles after Eddie Howe had urged them to sign his top targets ASAP, only for then just the one of the eventual six summer 2025 signings to arrive in time to have a pre-season with their new NUFC teammates and give Howe the opportunity to work with them.
On the other hand, Sunderland fans before the season were the fourth most optimistic (91%) fanbase, no surprise really as they were just happy to be back in the top tier after a decade in the lower leagues. Now the Mackems are the most optimistic (99%), as they have no relegation worries now.
It is the Chelsea fans (98% positivity before the start of the season, down now to 8%) and Liverpool fans (97% positivity before the start of the season, down to 22% now) who have changed their opinions so much over the course of this season.