Manchester City top the updated football arrests table with 103 police actions, while the Home Office says the overall total in England and Wales has climbed to 2,403 this season. Chelsea are next on 76, with Arsenal and Manchester United level on 68 each.
Manchester City at the top of the table
The City total sits above their Premier League standing too, with Manchester City currently third and on 21 points from 10 league matches. Chelsea are fifth, while Arsenal are top of the Premier League and Manchester United are also in the mix on the arrests list.
Those club positions do not explain the figures on their own, but they do give the table a sharper edge. The headline number is City on 103, and the gap to Chelsea on 76 is sizeable enough to stand out.
The wider Home Office total
The Home Office figures put the season total at 2,403, up from 2,037 in 2024-25 and lower than 2,584 in 2023-24. Mark Hobrough, the NPCC lead for football policing, said: "Though the vast majority of supporters attending domestic fixtures in the UK are law-abiding and enjoy supporting their teams at great games, there still remain an unacceptable number who spoil the event for others."
He also said 2,025 people were arrested for football-related incidents during the domestic season in 2025-26, and added that 357 people were arrested in England and Wales for football-related incidents during the 2026 World Cup alone. Hobrough said the figures do not include many associated offences, such as domestic abuse, which often happen away from stadiums or clubs.
The trend is not dramatic, but it is moving the wrong way compared with last season. The latest table still shows a small group of clubs attached to a bigger policing problem, and City sit on top of it with 103 police actions.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →
