Arsenal are on the verge of another WSL sell out this weekend with tickets for their match against Tottenham on Sunday afternoon close to being all gone. As of Friday morning, fewer than 100 tickets remain for the North London Derby, a fixture that saw 47,367 fans attend last season.
If the remaining tickets do get snapped up before Sunday's match, then it will be the second home Arsenal Women's match in a row that has reached capacity at the Emirates Stadium. On Saturday, February 17th, 60,160 supporters turned out to watch Arsenal Women take on Man Utd Women at the home of the Gunners – a match that the home side won 3-1.
The performance of the home side clearly peaked interest further with back-to-back sell outs now expected. Speaking after the win over Man Utd, Arsenal captain Leah Williamson said:
“When we build a fanbase like this over the years, I hope it grows across the country. When you see bigger crowds everywhere, you won't just have to pick from a few teams in the top leagues. It'll be available almost everywhere.”
WSL sell out: A timely boost for the Women's game
Another WSL sell out comes at the perfect time for Women's football in the UK amid controversy over the FA's decision to have England Women play two friendly matches in Algeciras last month. Attendances for the two Lioness friendlies were poor but the love for the Women's game is clearly stronger than ever back on home soil.
If Arsenal manage to overcome their local rivals, Tottenham, on Sunday then it will set up a thrilling end to the WSL season. They face Chelsea, who are currently three points clear of the Gunners at the top of the table, next Friday in a potential title decider that is set to be played at Stamford Bridge.
More than 20,000 tickets have already been sold for that match, a figure that will certainly rise over the next week as anticipation for what could be the biggest game of the WSL season grows.