As the weather changes and we race towards the festive period, we’re all spending a little more time indoors. The calm before the storm of Christmas is welcome, but it’s painfully short. It’s a time when many of us choose to work from home, avoiding the rain, wind, and seemingly continuous miserable conditions. How do you spend the winter months? Perhaps you enjoy catching up on this year’s best movie releases or playing the latest exciting console release. You may follow esports on your smartphone, keeping pace with an always exciting schedule.
The march towards the end of 2023 is an ideal opportunity to follow professional sports, and they don’t come much bigger or more popular than the English Premier League. The top division of UK soccer isn’t just the leading competition in club soccer; it’s the biggest tournament in all professional sports. Viewing figures show the top games, including the Manchester Derby and Merseyside Derby, attract millions of viewers worldwide. Are you a soccer fan, and do you follow the EPL? If the answer is no, we explain why you’re missing out and what you’ll gain from supporting English soccer.
You can watch the best games from the EPL on television or your smartphone. The leading online sportsbooks offer everything from matchwinner to spread betting, meaning you can add an extra edge of excitement. Research a fixture, make predictions, and gamble on the result. Choose wisely, and you could bank a profit while following your chosen team. Sportsbooks offer fans the chance of a double celebration, one cheer for the team’s victory and another for the profits gained from predicting the result.
Choose your team
The Premier League attracts a global audience from every continent, including North America, but it’s most popular across Europe. The best fixtures are broadcast live on TV to millions of soccer fans, and they’re great fun to watch as a neutral. But to get the most from your Premier League experience, you should choose a team as your favorite. But how do you select just one club to support in a league of 20 runners?
It’s also worth mentioning that each season, the worst-performing EPL teams drop to the second tier of English soccer, replaced by the three best teams from that division. That means there’s a danger you could select a team you think deserves your loyalty and support, only to see them finish in the bottom three and drop to the Championship. Choose wisely, take your time, and study each club’s history to find the one that’s best suited to you.
Manchester City is the current English and European champions, winning the Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League during a frantic finish to the previous campaign. If you’re after a team that wins more often than it loses, Man City could be the club for you. But no one likes a glory hunter, and simply choosing the most successful team isn’t a great approach. Other famous names from the EPL that have enjoyed success in recent times include Liverpool, Arsenal, and Tottenham, who are all in the running for the title this term.
What about the fallen giants? Teams that once challenged for major honors in English soccer but haven’t been as competitive in recent years? Teams like Manchester United, Chelsea, and Everton are struggling this season but won’t struggle forever. If you enjoy following a comeback story, support any of those three clubs, and you’ll have plenty to keep you entertained.
Watching the Premier League
The Premier League attracts more viewers than any other club soccer competition, and the numbers continue to rise. When preparing to watch a game from English soccer’s flagship tournament, you have a few options. Set your budget and the time you can afford to spend watching soccer, and decide what you want from the experience.
The first option available is the best and most authentic, but it’s also the most expensive. There’s nothing quite like watching a game from the stadium, sharing in the passion and emotion of the day with fellow soccer enthusiasts. Book a ticket for any major stadium, from Anfield to the Etihad, Stamford Bridge to Dean Court, and get up close and personal with the sport. Rub shoulders with Premier League fans, hear the chants, watch the colors, and enjoy the atmosphere. You’ll see some of the most talented and famous players in action.
If you don’t have the time or cash to spend visiting merry old England for a soccer game, the next best option is to follow live on TV. Watch from the comfort of your sofa alone or host a watch party with friends and family. Put the big game on your TV, lay out some snacks and beverages, decorate the room, and bring the excitement of English soccer to your home. If you don’t fancy tidying up afterward, you can always relocate to a sports bar.
Your final option to watch the Premier League games and teams you’re most interested in is on the move. Download a live-streaming app showing EPL games and follow from anywhere on the planet with your Android or iOS smartphone. Never miss a game while following the play, listening to commentary, and keeping pace with live scores.
Showcase your knowledge
Want to really show off your English soccer and sports knowledge? You can make predictions on the Premier League games or even look further ahead and predict this season’s outright champion. There are several ways to use your forecasts to help improve your enjoyment of the season. You can wager at the top sportsbooks, play Premier League fantasy games, or post your picks on social media.
The more you know about the teams, the better your picks will perform. Study the form of the clubs involved in a game, checking their recent results, league standings, and injury news. Only when you have fully researched a game should you predict a result and share your thoughts.