May 3rd, 2023, Stephan Shakespeare
Arsenal’s 4-1 loss to Manchester City last week has taken the title race out of their hands. With the team having enjoyed an eight-point lead at earlier stages of the season, the recriminations from pundits and fans – Piers Morgan, for example, described them as “frightened rabbits” – have already begun (perhaps prematurely).
But whether Manchester City wind up dropping the necessary points or not, Arsenal’s season has been a success in terms of bolstering the club’s brand. Data from YouGov Football Index can reveal that the team’s performance this year has led to a significant increase in Recommend scores (perceptions of whether a club is successful or not). At the beginning of this year’s campaign, these scores were at 7.5; as of April 26, they are 33.3 (+25.8): a near-fivefold improvement. Quality scores, which measure attitudes towards a club’s management, also jumped from 3.3 to 16.0 (+12.7).
This positive narrative around Arteta and the team has likely contributed to an increase in Consideration scores (which track whether the public consider a club likable or not): these rose from 10.5 to 16.2 (+5.7) over the same period, as did Satisfaction scores among the club’s fans – more than doubling from 6.4 to 13.6 (+7.2). Overall Index scores, which paint a picture of a club’s general brand health, increased from 7.6 to 17.1 (+9.5). Whether the team wins the league or not, we can say right now that the club’s brand performs favourably in this metric compared to last season’s champions Manchester City (16.3).
If Manchester City do prevail this year – and if Champion’s League football is not sufficient consolation – Arsenal can take heart from the groundswell of public positivity towards its team, its management, and its overall brand.
This article originally appeared in City AM