Anfield capacity increased: Where does it rank among largest Premier League grounds?

Liverpool are the most successful club in the history of English football, and their triumphs over the years have often been spurred on by the crowd at their iconic home ground, Anfield.

Under the ownership of Fenway Sports Group, the 20-time Premier League champions have raised the capacity of their stadium more than once – most notably in 2016 by revamping the Main Stand, before later expanding the Anfield Road Stand in 2024.

That Anfield Road redevelopment was announced back in 2021, but despite the goal of finishing the project by the start of the 2023-24 campaign, work to install 7,000 seats slipped into the opening months of the season after the originally-contracted construction company entered administration.

The reported £80m revamp was eventually taken up by Raynor Rowen, though it took until Manchester United‘s visit in December 2023 for the Anfield Road Stand to be partially reopened, before a full reopening against Burnley in February 2024.

Read on as Football Ground Guide covers all you need to know about the Anfield capacity increase, and just how Liverpool's stadium compares to their Premier League rivals'.

Anfield new capacity 

Ahead of the 2026-27 Premier League season, Liverpool's official capacity is 61,276, and their highest-ever Premier League attendance was registered in 2024-25, when 60,420 fans turned up to cheeron the Reds.

It should be noted that their current maximum is still lower than Anfield's all-time record attendance given a figure of 61,905 was achieved in an FA Cup game against Wolverhampton Wanderers in 1952.

Has the Anfield expansion had an impact on the atmosphere?

Despite the positives of an increased capacity, some match-going Liverpool fans have had complaints about how the atmosphere inside the stadium has dwindled, particularly during league matches deemed of less importance. Adding more corporate areas is said to have made Anfield more sanitised, which is detrimental to what made the ground famous in the first place.

The latest expansion to the Anfield Road Stand has only made these complaints louder, with some fans claiming that supporters in the newly expanded area aren't interested in helping to generate the iconic Anfield atmosphere.

Club captain Virgil van Dijk has taken steps himself to try to bolster the atmosphere at Anfield. The centre-back – who is adored by all Liverpool supporters – began asking Liverpool fans to make the crowd a sea of red again for home games at the end of the 2024/25 season.

Van Dijk’s message was certainly heard by fans, with Anfield becoming more red than ever for the club’s Premier League title lift in May, and while this has unfortunately not continued in the same manner this season, it could be something the club revisits for big matches towards the end of the campaign.

Much talk of lack of atmosphere at Anfield yesterday. Is the expansion with main focus on hospitality suites and commercialisation to blame for the lack of atmosphere?. Some say the atmosphere was equally flat vs. Brentford??

— Gerrie (theKop1952) (@theKop1952) September 15, 2024

Could Anfield's capacity increase in the future?

Every football club aims to expand its stadium to make more money from ticket sales and to enhance the game-day atmosphere. Liverpool are no exception, but whether they will make any further changes to Anfield in the immediate future remains to be seen.

According to the club's CEO, Billy Hogan, there are no plans for additional expansions right now, but with several other clubs in the Premier League amid changes, the club could reconsider if such a move is structurally possible.

There are a few challenges when it comes to expanding Anfield further. One key issue is that any additional expansion could create even more traffic problems in the area, which are already significant. Another concern is that the Sir Kenny Dalglish Stand can't be expanded much more due to limited space, unless the club relocates nearby homes, which has been a controversial topic in the past.

While some fans dream of enlarging the famous Kop Stand, expanding it poses logistical issues since it sits close to roads and local shops. Any plans to make it bigger would disrupt the lives of locals, something that is far from ideal for a stadium that's woven into a working-class area of a working-class city.

Another issue with expanding the Kop is that you could lose what makes it so special. If it became bigger, then you are only increasing the chances of non-passionate supporters snagging tickets. There is also a chance the acoustics could be impacted.

In summary, while everyone wants Anfield to grow, further expansion isn’t easy and perhaps illogical given the potential drawbacks.

Anfield capacity: Where does it rank among PL grounds?

With Anfield now boasting a capacity north of 61,000, where does it sit in the list of Premier League stadiums in terms of capacity?

1. Manchester United – 75,653
2. Tottenham – 62,062
3. Liverpool – 61,276
4. Arsenal – 60,704
5. Manchester City – 55,097
6. Everton – 52,769
7. Newcastle – 52,338
8. Sunderland – 48,707
9. Aston Villa – 42,660
10. Chelsea – 41,798
11. Leeds – 37,645
12. Coventry City – 32,609
13. Brighton – 30,750
14. Nottingham Forest – 30,576
15. Ipswich Town – 30,311
16. Crystal Palace – 26,074
17. Fulham – 25,678
18. Hull City – 25,586
19. Brentford – 17,250
20. Bournemouth – 11,464

While Anfield ranks fourth amongst Premier League stadiums, it remains to be seen how long it will stay in that spot considering the landscape of the football world is always evolving. Arsenal are looking at potentially expanding the Emirates Stadium, while Manchester City's North Stand expansion is set to take the Etihad's capacity to over 60,000.

Newcastle's potential move to Leazes Park would see their stadium capacity push past the 70,000 barrier, and Chelsea have regularly flirted with the idea of moving away from Stamford Bridge to a new, bigger home.

FGG says: An iconic stadium for decades to come

In the era of new stadiums, it's always good to see an iconic ground standing the test of time. With the expansion of the Anfield Road Stand at Anfield, it at least looks like Liverpool will be staying at their legendary home for a while yet.