What do the stats say about moving into a new stadium in the Premier League?

Image: Slaven Bilic's West Ham begin a new era at London Stadium this season

West Ham host Bournemouth on Super Sunday hoping to make a smooth transition to the London Stadium, but what do the stats tell us about moving homes in the Premier League era?

The Hammers ended a 112-year stay at the Boleyn Ground at the end of the last campaign and become the fifth side to change stadiums between two Premier League seasons.

For an idea of what might be in store as they adjust to their new home, we look at how Arsenal, Manchester City, Southampton and Derby County's home records compared in the seasons before and after they switched grounds...

Arsenal: Highbury to Emirates Stadium (2006)

Stadium Season W D L GD Points Position
Highbury 2005/06 14 3 2 +35 45 4th
Emirates 2006/07 12 6 1 +30 42 4th

Arsenal's gate receipts immediately sky rocketed when they made the move from the 38,500-capacity Highbury to the 60,000-seater Emirates Stadium, but results on the pitch did not go the same way.

The Gunners started life in their new home with consecutive 1-1 draws against Aston Villa and Middlesbrough, and by the end of the campaign their overall points total had dropped from 45 to 42 in home games.

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Image: Gilberto Silva scored Arsenal's first Premier League goal at the Emirates Stadium

Manchester City: Maine Road to City of Manchester Stadium (2003)

Stadium Season W D L GD Points Position
Maine Road 2002/03 9 2 8 +2 29 9th
Etihad Stadium 2003/04 5 9 5 +7 24 16th

Manchester City marked their final season at Maine Road with their highest finish in a decade, but they dropped from ninth to 16th after making the move to the City of Manchester Stadium - now known as the Etihad Stadium.

Their home form suffered. Having won nine games and claimed 29 points at Maine Road in 2002/03, City only won five times at their new home in 2003/04, with their points total dropping to 24 as they flirted with relegation.

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Image: Claudio Reyna takes a corner at the newly-opened City of Manchester Stadium in 2003

Southampton: The Dell to St Mary's Stadium (2001)

Stadium Season W D L GD Points Position
The Dell 2000/01 11 2 6 +5 35 10th
St Mary's 2001/02 7 5 7 +1 26 11th

Southampton's home form dropped off dramatically after their move to St Mary's Stadium in 2001. The south-coast club had taken 35 points from 57 in their final season at The Dell, but their total fell to 26 in 2001/02.

Indeed, it wasn't until November of that season that they finally won at their new home, with a 1-0 win over Charlton Athletic ending a winless run of five games at St Mary's Stadium.

Image: Southampton opened St Mary's Stadium at the start of the 2001/02 season

Derby County: Baseball Ground to Pride Park (1997)

Stadium Season W D L GD Points Position
Baseball Ground 1996/97 8 6 5 +3 30 12th
Pride Park 1997/98 12 3 4 +15 39 9th

While Southampton, Manchester City and Arsenal struggled directly after moving into their new stadiums, Derby County's home form improved considerably. 

The Rams had finished 12th in their final season at the Baseball Ground, but they climbed three places in 1997/98. They were not beaten at Pride Park until February of that year, and they finished the campaign with the sixth-best home record in the Premier League.

Image: Francesco Baiano scored one of Derby County's first goals at Pride Park

Conclusion

While few can argue with the long-term financial benefits of moving to a new and improved stadium, the stats suggest the upheaval can have an adverse effect on results in the short-term.

West Ham will hope to follow Derby's example rather than Arsenal, Manchester City or Southampton's in the London Stadium, but it would not be too much of a surprise if it took some time to find their feet in the unfamiliar surroundings of their new home.

West Ham v Bournemouth is live on Sky Sports 1 HD from 3.30pm on Sunday

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