Arsenal Women sell out Emirates as interest in women's game grows

Arsenal has announced that they have officially sold out Emirates Stadium for an upcoming match involving their women’s team. The club is set to host Manchester United Women on Saturday, Feb. 17. It is the first time in the club’s history that they have sold out the massive arena for a Women’s Super League match.

The north London club previously revealed last month that tickets for the game were selling at a record pace. Seats for the upcoming fixture became the fastest-selling English women’s top-flight game in their history. As of January 18th, they had already sold over 50,000 tickets for the United clash. Emirates Stadium has a capacity of just over 60,000 fans.

Arsenal Women currently sit third in the English top-flight table at the moment. Manchester United, however, is just four points behind the Gunners in the standings. Unlike the Premier League, just the top three teams in the Women’s Super League (WSL) qualify for next season’s Champions League.

Arsenal Women set to play more matches at Emirates Stadium

Arsenal Women have historically played a majority of their home matches at nearby Meadow Park. The venue has a maximum capacity of just 4,000 fans. Nevertheless, massive supporter interest in the team has forced the club to make the necessary accommodations. The club will play six of their 11 home league games during the current campaign at the much larger Emirates.

Vinai Venkatesham, Arsenal’s Chief Executive, applauded this boost in outside interest on Thursday. “We are grateful for the incredible support we’ve had all season,” proclaimed Venkatesham. “Our supporters’ unwavering commitment and following, coupled with the performance of our team and the hard work of everyone behind the scenes at our club, has made this moment possible.”

“The next step is delivering this on a consistent basis – not just at Emirates Stadium but across the league. We must continue to nurture this audience and deliver sustainable growth for the whole women’s game.”

Interest in women’s soccer leagues continues to rise

Women’s soccer in England has seen a significant boost in interest in recent years. The country’s triumph at the 2022 UEFA Women’s Euro undoubtedly played a key role in this rise. The Lionesses eventually lifted the trophy at the tournament on home soil.

A record 87,192 fans packed Wembley Stadium in the summer of that year to watch England edge Germany in the title game. In total, over 500,000 fans purchased tickets to the tournament. The competition was also watched by over 365 million people across 195 nations.

Arsenal, in particular, has led the way in advancing the women’s game at the club level. The Gunners previously sold out Emirates Stadium for a Women’s Champions League semifinal match against Wolfsburg back in May. The women’s team then also set a WSL record attendance against rivals Chelsea in December as well. Arsenal managed to sell 59,042 tickets for the rivalry game.

Saturday’s game will, however, top this previous domestic record. This recent and continued rise in interest in women’s soccer only helps the sport as a whole. Here Stateside, over 800,000 viewers tuned to CBS as NJ/NY Gotham FC topped OL Reign to grab the NWSL title back in the fall. As a result, it was the most-streamed NWSL match in history.

PHOTOS: IMAGO