Chelsea and Manchester United were both far from the top of the Premier League table last season, but they still managed to top the charts in the table of most hated clubs in the Premier League.
The Red Devils were crowned the most hated team in the Premier League last year, but they have now come in second place to Chelsea, according to a survey conducted by The Mirror.
The survey asked fans of each Premier League club which team they hate and which they love. The results also weighed the opinions of each club’s fans equally to present an unbiased view. After participation by over 10,000 fans across England, West London club Chelsea emerged as the most hated club in the land. Former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho’s new base Manchester United came out second, followed by Liverpool, Man City and Arsenal.
Last season’s promoted survivors of the Premier League Bournemouth were the least hated club, while Premier League champions Leicester City came in second. They were followed by Watford, Southampton and newly promoted Burnley.
Old rivalries still going strong
The survey revealed which team the fans hated on a club-by-club basis, meaning that it is a useful indicator of which clubs share the most animosity between fans. Judging from the results, it looks like the old Premier League rivalries are still going strong.
The rivalry between the top London teams are the most heated, with Chelsea, Spurs and Arsenal involved in a triangle of hate. Blues fans hate Arsenal the most (87%), while Spurs fans unsurprisingly also hate Arsene Wenger’s men the most (92%). Tottenham are the most hated by Arsenal fans (86%). However Arsenal fans seem to hate Chelsea more than Spurs (90%), while the Blues from Stamford Bridge are even more hated by Tottenham (91%).
Apart from Spurs and Arsenal, Chelsea are also the most hated club of the fans of Middlesbrough (63%), Sunderland (63%), Swansea City (76%), Watford (68%), West Ham (78%) and Hull City (79%).
In the North West, Everton fans despise Liverpool (84%) the most, while the Reds hate traditional rivals Manchester United more than any other club (93%). However the two Manchester sides hate each other the most, with the newly powerful Man City equaling Liverpool as the side most hated by Man United fans (93%), and the Citizens also hating their cross-town rivals the most (96%).
