It has been a while in the works, but the new-look Anfield will finally host its first Liverpool home game this weekend.
Champions Leicester City are the visitors as Jürgen Klopp’s team play in front of the redeveloped main stand for the first time since work was completed over the summer.
And the club have confirmed that the ground now boasts a capacity of more than 54,000 – an increase of more than 8,000 on last season – while the famous Shankly Gates have also got a new location.
😎 It's official – Anfield's new capacity is… pic.twitter.com/p9tUb6f7O9
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) September 9, 2016
It’s a very significant development for the club, but how does it compare to some of the largest stadia in the Premier League and the rest of Europe?
Only four other Premier League grounds are able to pack in more fans. Old Trafford is the largest, with a capacity of 75,000, while the Emirates Stadium and the Etihad hold roughly 60,000 and 55,000 respectively.
Bang in the middle of those is West Ham’s London Stadium, which was expected to hold 60,000 fans at the start of campaign but saw that number dialled back slightly to 57,000.
RECORD: Today's attendance is a Club-record 56,977! Thank you for your magnificent support! [1-0] ⚒ #WHUBOU pic.twitter.com/7I2Q42zGVv
— West Ham United (@WestHam) August 21, 2016
North of the border, only Celtic Park (60,411) is larger, while other European stadia with comparable capacities include Atlético Madrid’s Estadio Vicente Calderón (54,907) and Valencia’s Mestalla.
Of course none of these even come close to Camp Nou. Barcelona’s ground can hold more than 99,000 fans, making it the largest club-specific stadium in the world, while the San Siro, Estadio Santiago Bernabéu and Signal Iduna Park are all bigger (in capacity terms) than any Premier League ground.
Number one in the world, though? That honour belongs to the Rungrado 1st of May Stadium in North Korea, which can reportedly hold 150,000 spectators. No, honestly!
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