Gameweek 2: A 2-2 surprise puts the crowd on the spot
Liverpool FC drew 2-2 with Nottingham Forest, and just 16% of the crowd called the draw. That made it Gameweek 2’s biggest surprise by crowd backing. Not the result to lead with if you had been confidently explaining your calls to your mates. From there, the weekend offered both more awkward surprises and some rather satisfying vindication.
Results called right
52%
Up 11 points on the season (41%)
Exact scores nailed
9%
Up 1 points on the season (8%)
More reasons to check the results twice
Hull City AFC won 0-1 at Coventry City FC, with 19% backing the winning outcome. It was another reminder that a crowd consensus is not a result waiting to happen.
Then came Tottenham Hotspur FC, beaten 0-2 by Newcastle United FC. Newcastle had 29% behind them, making this another result that went against the wider view. Alongside the Liverpool draw, these were the calls that left the crowd with the most explaining to do.
Crowd vs reality
Crystal Palace 1-4 Manchester City FC
Aston Villa 0-1 Arsenal FC
Manchester United 5-2 Ipswich Town FC
Liverpool FC 2-2 Nottingham Forest
Coventry City FC 0-1 Hull City AFC
Tottenham Hotspur FC 0-2 Newcastle United FC
Confidence did have its rewards
There was plenty for the crowd to get right elsewhere. Manchester City FC had 92% backing for victory and won 1-4 at Crystal Palace. Arsenal FC carried the same 92% support into their game at Aston Villa, winning 0-1.
Different scorelines, same reward for trusting the strongly backed outcome. Manchester United also delivered for the 88% who called their win, beating Ipswich Town FC 5-2. Those percentages describe backing for the result, rather than the exact score. Getting the winner right is satisfying enough without claiming extra credit.
A split crowd gets a draw
Leeds United against Brentford was the round’s most divided fixture. The split was Leeds United 32%, draw 31%, Brentford 37%, so there was no overwhelming favourite in the crowd’s eyes.
The match finished 1-1, rewarding the draw call despite it having the smallest share of that split. A handy talking point for anyone whose mates insist the most popular answer must be the sensible one.
The wider picture looks brighter
Across 10 finished games, with all 10 called, result accuracy was 52%, above the season figure of 41%. Exact-score accuracy stood at 9%, compared with 8% for the season. These crowd figures include every player, so this is the whole picture rather than a selected highlight reel.
The crowd table also offers something to chew over. It rates Aston Villa and Manchester United lower, while rating Hull City AFC and Ipswich Town FC higher. That sits alongside a round in which Manchester United won convincingly and Ipswich lost: the table comparison and the weekend’s results tell different parts of the story.
Over to Gameweek 3
There are no most-backed teams listed for Gameweek 3 yet, so there is no early crowd favourite to flag. For now, Gameweek 2 leaves a useful reminder: strong agreement can deliver, but it cannot settle a match. Bring the debate back to your mates and make your calls.