Gameweek 5: The biggest crowd call lands, but the surprises bite
With 99% backing Manchester City FC, the crowd could hardly have been more confident. That call landed with a 5-3 win over Sunderland. A correct result and plenty of goals to go with it. The rest of Gameweek 5 was rather less obliging, though, with some thinly supported outcomes giving the crowd plenty to chew over.
Results called right
34%
Down 7 points on the season (41%)
Exact scores nailed
5%
Down 3 points on the season (8%)
A little reward for the confidence
Everton also rewarded the crowd, beating Ipswich Town FC 1-0 with 62% backing the winning result. Not quite the goal tally of the strongest call, but the outcome still went the way the crowd expected.
There was another successful call for Liverpool FC, whose 0-1 win away to AFC Bournemouth landed with 56% support. Alongside Manchester City FC, these were the bright spots in a round that offered no shortage of reminders that agreement does not guarantee accuracy.
Crowd vs reality
Manchester City FC 5-3 Sunderland
Everton 1-0 Ipswich Town FC
AFC Bournemouth 0-1 Liverpool FC
Nottingham Forest 0-1 Coventry City FC
Brighton & Hove Albion 3-0 Arsenal FC
Leeds United 0-0 Crystal Palace
The results hardly anyone saw coming
Just 1% backed the winning outcome as Coventry City FC beat Nottingham Forest 0-1. That was the starkest surprise in the pack, and quite the contrast with the crowd confidence behind Manchester City FC.
Brighton & Hove Albion supplied another awkward result for the consensus, beating Arsenal FC 3-0 with only 4% backing the outcome. Meanwhile, the 0-0 between Leeds United and Crystal Palace had 7% support. No goals there, but still plenty of scope for a rethink in the mates chat.
Split opinions, decisive outcome
Tottenham Hotspur FC against Aston Villa was the most divided fixture. The crowd split was 31% for Tottenham Hotspur FC, 45% for the draw and 24% for Aston Villa.
The draw attracted the largest share, but Aston Villa won, with the match finishing 2-3. This was not a case of overwhelming confidence being overturned. The crowd was already pulled in different directions, and the least supported result option came through. A useful reminder that the biggest share is not always a majority, let alone the answer.
The wider picture needs some polishing
Across 10 completed games, with calls on all 10, crowd result accuracy finished at 34%, below the season figure of 41%. Exact score accuracy was 5%, compared with 8% for the season. These figures include every player, so this is the whole crowd picture rather than a highlight reel of the best calls.
The crowd table also offers some talking points. It rates Aston Villa and Manchester United lower, while Hull City AFC and Ipswich Town FC are rated higher. Between those differences and this round of surprises, there is plenty for mates to disagree about before the next calls go in.
A fresh slate for Gameweek 6
There are no most backed teams listed for Gameweek 6 yet, so there is no early crowd favourite to flag. After a round where the strongest call landed but overall accuracy slipped below the season mark, the next set offers a fresh test of judgement. Bring your mates into the conversation and make your calls.