Everybody wants to rule the world. Wait, sorry, I just had that Tears for Fears song stuck in my head. What I really meant to say was: Everybody wants to win the Premier League.
Yet, only one lucky fanbase gets to watch their team do it. And this year, it is looking like it might be Arsenal’s time under Mikel Arteta. Only Manchester City can stop them, but Pep Guardiola’s team are nine points adrift of the leaders. Even with a game in hand, and a game against Arsenal next month, there is a mountain to climb.
But ‘who will win?’ is one question. ‘Who do you want to win?’ is where things get a little more heated.
We asked fans of every Premier League club, apart from Arsenal and Manchester City, who they would rather see lifting the famous trophy in May. Rival fans have voted in their numbers. Some feel vexed by a whole host of things, including style of play, fanbase, history, managers, players, owners, financial might or, in City’s case, the pending Premier League charges.
Overall, City came out on top, with 11 of the other teams’ supporters siding with them, but Arsenal did have the backing of three of five London clubs.
At one point this season, Aston Villa were surprise title contenders as they shrugged off a shaky start to put themselves in the mix. But in 2026, such dreams faded fast. Now that they are out of the running, who do Villa fans want to see win? Of the Villa fans to respond, 62.2 per cent voted for City.
The main reason fans picked City was to “stop Arsenal winning”. One Villa fan said: “I can’t really bear the idea of using the internet in a post-Arsenal-winning-the-league world.”
Some Villa fans also noted what they perceived to be a lack of respect from Arsenal fans for their former manager Unai Emery, who now coaches Villa.
Manchester City
Bournemouth are another team siding with City – 61.1 per cent said they wanted to see them win the title — and we all know why.
Some fans — 32.2 per cent — cited wanting to see their former player Antoine Semenyo, who signed for City in January, lift the Premier League trophy.
Antoine Semenyo would be a popular title-winner in Bournemouth (Carl Recine/Getty Images)
Another fan also mentioned wanting to see City defender Nathan Ake, still a much-loved figure on the south coast, win what would be his fifth Premier League title.
Manchester City
A lot of Brentford fans wanted to see former players David Raya and Christian Norgaard with winners’ medals. Of the Brentford supporters who took part in our survey, 65.6 per cent ticked Arsenal.
One fan said they wanted City to do it because Guardiola had always been respectful of Brentford. One fan thought it would be “funny if Arsenal choked again”, while another wanted that particular narrative to end. That same fan also thought Arsenal winning the title would “wind up Spurs fans”. Another said it would “end the long suffering” for Arsenal fans.
Arsenal
Brighton & Hove Albion fans opted for City. A big reason for half of the fans choosing City was their style of play under Guardiola. But one fan who picked Arsenal said it would be nice for ex-Brighton players Ben White and Leandro Trossard to win the league.
Manchester City
Leandro Trossard (left) playing against former club Brighton (Glyn Kirk/AFP via Getty Images)
Burnley fans were pretty relaxed as to who they wanted to win the title, perhaps because they hope to escape the clutches of what looks to be a looming relegation into the Championship.
City just tipped the balance. One of the fans who chose City cited their reason being that Guardiola’s side were “northern”.
Manchester City
Most Chelsea fans do not want London rivals Arsenal to win the league — 84.8 per cent, in fact.
Some brave Chelsea fans did choose Arsenal, however. Their reasoning? Someone boldly said, “They’re my second team”. I’m not sure how that works but each to their own.
There was one incredibly poignant answer. “(For the) memory of a late friend who supported Arsenal and never got to see them win under Arteta,” wrote one fan.
Manchester City
Are some fans of south London’s Crystal Palace secretly rooting for Arsenal, whose roots did begin south of the river? Yes, though it was a tight call with 52.2 per cent opting for Arsenal.
While there was a lot of love for Marc Guehi, who joined City in January, plenty of Palace fans wanted to see Eberechi Eze, who returned to boyhood club Arsenal last summer after winning the FA Cup and Community Shield with Palace, win the league.
Arsenal
Everton fans still had fond memories of former midfielder Mikel Arteta (Alex Livesey/Getty Images)
Many Premier League fans wanted to see a different winner, with Arsenal’s last title arriving in the 2002-03 season. A majority of Everton supporters were among those, with 71.7 per cent picking Arsenal.
They clearly still love Arteta, their former midfield maestro. “Even though the fans will be insufferable, I wish Arteta well. And it’s probably good for the league,” said one Evertonian.
Another thought it would annoy Liverpool fans if it were Arsenal who took their title from them. But one fan did think Arsenal would “gloat too much”, so sided with City, as did another because they thought City were the team “more likely” to get past Liverpool’s total of 20 title wins.
Arsenal
Arsenal are on a roll here, just like they have been for much of the season. Fulham fans are warming to the idea of Arsenal being crowned champions, with 60.4 per cent opting for Arteta’s men.
One fan said he wanted Arsenal to do it for his friends who support them. However, one Fulham fan had the opposite reason. “Some of my closest friends are Arsenal fans and the fact they keep falling short is true entertainment,” they wrote.
Good job this survey was anonymous, eh?
Arsenal
Up in Yorkshire, Leeds United fans have mixed feelings, with 53.7 per cent choosing City.
“Man City have been too dominant,” is one fan’s reasoning, another simply wrote: “115 charges!” More poetic responses included, “The enemy of my enemy is my friend” and “For the North” as reasons for picking City.
Manchester City
Liverpool fans have mostly sided with their main title rival of the past decade, with over 70 per cent wanting City to win the league.
But one fan seemed torn either way, as they replied: “City and their 115 charges don’t deserve another title, but the way Arsenal play (time wasting, corner-kick merchants) don’t ‘deserve’ to win it either!”
One Liverpool fan did want Arsenal fans, after three consecutive second-place finishes, to enjoy the feeling of getting over the line. “I have friends who support Arsenal and I want them to have a good time,” they wrote.
Manchester City
This must feel like being between a rock and a hard place for Manchester United fans given their long-standing rivalries with both clubs. But the majority — 58.7 per cent — have spoken and it would hurt far greater to see their neighbours make it 11 top-flight titles, especially as United were last crowned champions 14 years ago.
Manchester United fans are divided about the eventual title winner (Stu Forster/Getty Images)
One fan called Arsenal the “lesser of two evils”. Meanwhile, a few United fans said they wanted to see the trophy stay up north rather than end up in London for the first time since Chelsea’s win in 2016-17.
Arsenal
Newcastle United still have to play Arsenal this season. Of the fans who picked City, 66.5 per cent said the main reason they did so was because they didn’t want Arsenal to win.
“I don’t know any City fans,” said one. Another thought what Arteta had done at Arsenal was a blueprint for Newcastle to follow in how to “build a squad capable of winning over a number of seasons”. One fan said their son-in-law supported Arsenal and thought it would be nice to be kind.
Manchester City
Nottingham Forest fans were mostly behind Arsenal, with 63.9 per cent backing the north Londoners.
One fan seemed split in their decision when asking: “Can you make it so they both lose?” One thought it would be comedic if Arsenal were to lose. Another hoped Arsenal did win the title because of how well they have adapted and strengthened their squad after missing out in previous seasons.
Arsenal
Sunderland fans are more Arsenal (68.4 per cent) than City (31.6 per cent). But one Sunderland fan made their feelings known as to why they chose City. “My mates who are Arsenal fans are unbearable. Also, North London Forever is the game’s most benign and cringeworthy anthem,” they wrote. One said it would be a nice change to see Arsenal win after City’s period of dominance.
Arsenal
Tottenham Hotspur fans naturally do not want to see their north London rivals anywhere near the Premier League trophy. No surprises that 91.8 per cent sided with City. Admittedly, seeing your nearest rival win the title when your team is in a relegation battle does not sound like fun.
But over eight per cent of people claiming to be Spurs supporters picked Arsenal…
Tottenham Hotspur supporters were almost unanimous in their support of City (Julian Finney/Getty Images)
Why? One fan thought it would “shame Spurs into getting their act together”. They also noted that one of their good friends was recovering from a heart attack and so they wanted to “let him have this one”.
One fan did not agree with those choosing Arsenal. They boldly stated they would “rather be hit by a car every day for 100 years” than see Arsenal win the league for what would be a 14th time in the club’s history.
Manchester City
The closest to a 50/50 vote we received was from West Ham United fans. They were really split, with 50.8 per cent wanting City to be champions.
At least 18.2 per cent of fans listed their former player Declan Rice as the reason they wanted Arsenal to win it. “I want nothing but the best for Declan Rice,” said one. Another added: “I’d love Declan Rice to win a major trophy. He was wonderful for us and left with no hard feelings.”
Manchester City
In what has been a painful Premier League campaign, fans of bottom-of-the-table Wolverhampton Wanderers want City to prevail, though it was a narrow win, with Guardiola’s team getting 53.6 per cent of the vote.
One fan said they voted Arsenal because “it’s time”.
Manchester City
Over the next two months, we will see if it is indeed Arteta’s time or if Guardiola has a last-ditch miracle up his sleeve.
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