The Athletic FC Podcast No sweet home: Is 'home advantage' fading?
Jan 25, 2026
Mark Carey, football journalist who explores psychological and contextual factors; Liam Tharme, analyst bringing statistical measures and research; Michael Cox, tactician offering historical and tactical breakdowns. They debate whether home advantage is shrinking. Short takes on crowd effects, COVID blank-slate seasons, tactical convergence, pitch quirks and stadium moves.
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Home Points Can Skew Dramatically
- Tottenham have won only 33% of their points at home this season, a strikingly low share that ranks among the worst in recent years.
- Michael Cox notes historical examples like Ipswich and Crystal Palace to show some clubs perform better away than at home.
Home Advantage Beyond Points
- Liam Tharme presents a home-advantage ratio that factors goals scored and conceded, not just points, revealing different leaders.
- Mid-table or relegation-threatened teams often show the biggest home skew, using their ground as a competitive lever.
Mourinho's Nine-Year Home Unbeaten Streak
- Michael Bailey highlights Jose Mourinho's nine-year unbeaten home run spanning Porto, Chelsea, Inter and Real Madrid between 2002 and 2011.
- He presents this as an extreme historical example of sustained home dominance under one manager.