When it comes to football matches, the home side is supposed to provide a bit of a benefit to the team playing at their own ground. The crowd gets behind them and tends to outnumber the away team by a large margin, meaning that they should, in theory at least, be able to drown out the travelling supporters.
Sometimes, though, a team turns up and produces such a good performance that the home team is humbled in front of their own fans. The crowd stops singing and offering support, instead being inclined to be abusive, if anything. What, though, are the most noteworthy results that silenced the home crowd?
Manchester United 0 – Liverpool 5
Shocks happen in football matches. Whether it be Wigan Athletic defeating Manchester City in the FA Cup final or Liverpool themselves being humbled by Wimbledon in the same competition, we’ve all seen some shocks play out in front of our eyes. Most of the time, though, they don’t involve the club that is seen as your fiercest rival. Step forward Manchester United under the management of Ole Gunnar Solksjaer.
An absolute demolition job. Liverpool far better than United and showed it in spades. Salah magnificent, but a real team effort. Keita fantastic, midfield worked so hard, defence superb. 5-0 at Old Trafford a real statement. The best of times.
— Leanne Prescott (@_lfcleanne) October 24, 2021
The Red Devils weren’t exactly considered favourites at the time that Jürgen Klopp’s Liverpool side turned up in the October of 2021, but the Merseyside club had long struggled to win at Old Trafford. That wasn’t the case this time, however. The Reds were in tremendous form, with a Mohamed Salah hat-trick helping them on their way to a 5-0 win that was one of the biggest that they’d ever enjoyed at the home of their enemy. For most United fans it was simply too much, streaming for the exits as quickly as they could.
Manchester United 1 – Manchester City 6
It isn’t just Liverpool that have turned up at Old Trafford and silenced the home crowd in spectacular fashion. In some ways, the Liverpool game will have been the most embarrassing for Manchester United supporters because of the fact that the Merseyside club were just incredible well-run, whereas Manchester City’s famous win there came in the wake of the club’s takeover by Sheikh Mansour of the United Arab Emirates as part of the country’s sports-washing operation.
@atf.football Crazy manchester derby 🤯#fyp #football #premierleagueclassic #mancity #derbymanchester
Even so, to lose 6-1 to your city neighbours is not good. The game was played during the 2011-2012 Premier League season, which would eventually see the two Manchester clubs end the campaign on the same number of points, with City winning the title on goal difference. This match played a big part in that, given that the goal difference between them was essentially eight goals. Two of City’s were scored in second-half stoppage time, rubbing salt into the wound.
Chelsea 2 – Bradford City 4
Under Roman Abramovich’s ownership, Chelsea took the FA Cup very seriously. Managers such as José Mourinho knew that it was a way of getting silverware in the cabinet each season. When the Premier League side was drawn to face League One’s Bradford City in the 2014-2015 season, it was see was another opportunity to progress without much concern from their side; a fact which was doubled-down on when they went 2-0 up.
The Bantams, though, had no intention of rolling over and getting their bellies tickled. Instead, they got a goal back in spectacular style through John Stead, then equalised with just 15 minutes left on the clock. When Andy Halliday put them in front, Stamford Bridge fell almost silent. The only voices that could be heard were those of the Bradford fans, who were delirious when Mark Yates made it 4-2.
Liverpool 2 – Northampton Town 2 (2-4 on Penalties)
The truth about football clubs is that sometimes managers fit well with them and sometimes they don’t. In the case of Liverpool, Roy Hodgson should never have been given the Anfield job, given his extremely Southern attitude and the fact that he wasn’t a very good coach. Luckily for him, however, his friends in the media trumpeted the idea of him taking over on Merseyside when Rafa Benítez was sacked.
12 years ago today, we got beat 2-1 by Blackpool at home and Roy Hodgson came out and said Liverpool aren’t too big for a relegation battle… 🤮
— Mick Moran (@Mick_Moran_) October 3, 2022
If he wanted to demonstrate his unsuitability to the role then his response to the League Cup loss to League Two’s Northampton Town was an opportunity he didn’t let pass. Having named a weakened team as he eyed the Premier League game against Sunderland at the weekend, the Reds ended up drawing 2-2 before losing 2-4 on penalties. Before the game he said that they would be ‘formidable‘ opponents, then after the game threw his players under the bus.
West Ham United 0 – Arsenal 6
It is another derby to look at this time, if you can call matches between the London clubs derbies. Tottenham Supporters will tell you that every other London club sees a game against them as the one that they most want to win, but there is no love lost between Arsenal and West Ham United. When the Gunners turned up at the Olympic Stadium in the February of 2024, therefore, the home fans were hoping to cause them some issues.
@calcio.heritage
Arsenal were trying to win the title under Mikel Arteta, which the Hammers were keen to stop from happening, but they were also keen to see their former captain, Declan Rice, fail to win upon his return. Not only did they fail in that ambition, losing 6-0, but Rice scored a rocket of a goal to rub salt into the wound. The only good news for West Ham fans is that most of them had left at half-time and didn’t see it.