Football writer Ben Bloom assesses why sides are significantly more successful at their own grounds.
Any Brentford supporter who watches their team play home and away has witnessed a remarkable phenomenon this season.
Thomas Frank’s side have the best home record in the Premier League in 2024/25. Unbeaten in six matches at the Gtech Community Stadium, they have been close to perfection by picking up 16 points from a possible 18.
But on the road, the Bees are a very different proposition, losing all five of their away matches so far. With zero points, they sit one place from the bottom of the away-form league table.
It is an extraordinary contrast.
Explaining the difference
We are, of course, very familiar with the concept of "home advantage" in football.
In Premier League history, home clubs have earned an average of 1.63 points per match, compared with 1.1 points for away teams. But why is there such a significant difference?
There are a number of factors at play.
The presence of a large number of vocal home supporters is perhaps the largest contributor, boosting their team's confidence on the pitch.
There is also a sense of familiarity for home players, who can go through their customary pre-match routine, while being comfortable with everything from the length of the grass, to the sun's location and the stadium’s sight lines.
Conversely, the unfamiliarity can have a negative effect on away teams who may be battling travel fatigue, even before they step into a large arena where the vast majority of supporters are cheering for the opposition.
Ticket allocations for away fans vary for each stadium, but home clubs must offer the visiting team a minimum of 3,000 tickets if their capacity exceeds 30,000, or 10 per cent of the total seats if capacity is lower.
With all of this said, for all that a vocal home support can aid a team, there are occasions where it might have a negative impact on players if frustration is visible or audible in the stands.
Some teams might also suit a certain style of play – such as sitting back and counter-attacking – that is often easier to implement when playing away from expectant home supporters.
A player's opinion
Thierry Henry scored more goals at Arsenal’s old Highbury Stadium than any player at a single Premier League ground.
“I felt so confident when I was playing at Highbury because I knew where I was,” he once told Sky Sports.
“When you play at a stadium, you know where you are. Your memory pictures it all the time. I knew exactly where I was on the field, every single time I was at Highbury.”
A manager's view
When Luton Town played at the distinctly unmodern Kenilworth Road during their only Premier League season so far, manager Rob Edwards noted that the ground’s compact dimensions helped create an intimidating atmosphere, which could make the pitch seem even smaller for opposition players.
“Some people might not like it, they might think it’s a bit tight,” he said.
“They might want a bit more space. It’s tight, it’s compact, it’s intense.”
Home v away statistics
Brentford currently earn an average of 2.67 more points per match (ppm) at home than they do in away matches this season, which puts them on course for a record.
The biggest gap across a full Premier League campaign was 1.79 points, registered by Fulham in 2005/06. They earned an average of 2.16ppm at home, and just 0.37 away.
PL teams with biggest home-away differences
| Team | Season | Home ppm | Away ppm | Difference |
| Brentford | 24/25 | 2.67 | 0.00 | 2.67 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fulham | 05/06 | 2.16 | 0.37 | 1.79 |
| Leeds | 92/93 | 2.10 | 0.33 | 1.76 |
| Arsenal | 17/18 | 2.47 | 0.84 | 1.63 |
| Man Utd | 10/11 | 2.89 | 1.32 | 1.58 |
| West Ham | 97/98 | 2.26 | 0.68 | 1.58 |
| Coventry | 99/00 | 1.95 | 0.37 | 1.58 |
Over time, every Premier League club have earned more points at home than away.
The campaign with the biggest difference between points per home match and points per away match was 2009/10.
Seasons with biggest home-away differences
| Season | Home ppm | Away ppm | Difference |
| 2009/10 | 1.78 | 0.97 | 0.81 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995/96 | 1.73 | 1.02 | 0.71 |
| 2000/01 | 1.72 | 1.02 | 0.70 |
| 2010/11 | 1.71 | 1.00 | 0.70 |
| 1999/00 | 1.72 | 1.04 | 0.68 |
The pattern has remained steady throughout every season except for one notable outlier.
Due to Covid restrictions, the 2020/21 campaign took place almost entirely without fans.
It was the only season in the Premier League’s history in which the average away points per match (1.43) exceeded the average home points (1.36).
Seasons with lowest home-away differences
| Season | Home ppm | Away ppm | Difference |
| 2020/21 | 1.36 | 1.43 | -0.07 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021/22 | 1.52 | 1.25 | 0.27 |
| 2015/16 | 1.52 | 1.20 | 0.32 |
| 2023/24 | 1.60 | 1.19 | 0.41 |
| 2018/19 | 1.62 | 1.20 | 0.42 |
Can Brentford finally get their first away point?
The factors that influence home advantage are seemingly endless and often intangible.
Whatever the reasons, they have never had a more extreme impact than at Brentford in recent months.
On Saturday, the Bees will be seeking their first away point in 2024/25 at the sixth attempt.
They will visit an Everton side whose home record (five points from five matches) is hardly better than their away record (five points from six matches).
Time will tell if this encourages Frank's side.
