Arsenal set to smash WSL attendance record in derby against Spurs

The Women’s Super League attendance record is set to be smashed on Saturday with more than 51,000 tickets sold for Arsenal’s derby against Tottenham at the Emirates Stadium.

The record of 38,262 was set in the reverse fixture in 2019 when the league experienced a boost from England having reached a World Cup semi-final the preceding summer.

This summer the Arsenal centre-back and England captain Leah Williamson implored fans who had followed the team’s triumphant Euros journey to come to WSL matches. “We’ve brought everybody together,” she shouted into the camera. “We’ve got people at games. We want them to come to the Women’s Super League – the legacy of this team will be the start of the journey.”

The message was heard loud and clear at Arsenal. “We’ve followed Leah’s lead,” says the chief commercial officer, Juliet Slot, who was at Wembley as Williamson lifted the trophy and her clubmate Beth Mead won the golden ball and golden boot. “We thought: ‘Right, come on, we too, as a club, have to tell people we want them to come.’”

Arsenal are one of four WSL clubs playing in their club’s main stadium this weekend, meaning the combined attendance for a round of matches is also poised to be smashed. Liverpool play Everton at Anfield, Brighton take on Reading at the Amex and Leicester face Aston Villa at the King Power where they host all their games.

Arsenal were one of the last WSL sides to host a league fixture in their main stadium but have committed to playing six games there this season and have given season-ticket holders for the men’s team the chance to bolt those on. Slot says the decision to move the matches was taken before she started last December and that it reflects a women’s football strategy at Arsenal to