Arsenal Women’s Super League Fixtures to be Hosted at Emirates Stadium in 2023-24 Season
Arsenal Football Club has confirmed that several of its Women’s Super League (WSL) fixtures will be hosted at the Emirates Stadium during the 2023-24 campaign. The decision comes after the success of hosting three WSL matches at the club’s main stadium last season. In an effort to further support women’s football and provide a larger platform for the team, Arsenal will now host five WSL matches at the Emirates Stadium.
The season will kick off with Arsenal facing Liverpool at the Emirates on October 1, followed by a match against Aston Villa on October 15. One of the highly anticipated fixtures will be against Chelsea on December 10. Last season, Sam Kerr scored a last-minute equalizer in this fixture, which drew a crowd of 46,811 spectators.
Another exciting match will be against Manchester United on February 18. Last season, Marc Skinner’s side recorded a dramatic late 3-2 win at the Emirates, making this rematch highly anticipated. The final WSL visitor to the Emirates next season will be North London rivals Tottenham on March 3. This will mark the third consecutive season that the WSL north London derby has been hosted at the Emirates. In the previous season, Arsenal emerged as 4-0 winners in front of a league-record crowd of 47,367.
Normally, Arsenal Women’s home ground is Meadow Park, which has a capacity of 4,500 and is the home of National League side Boreham Wood. However, Arsenal has recognized the growing popularity and support for women’s football and aims to provide a larger stage for their team.
In addition to hosting WSL matches, Arsenal also hosted all of their Champions League matches from the group stages onwards at the Emirates last season. The highlight was their semi-final second-leg defeat to Wolfsburg, which attracted a record crowd for a domestic women’s football match in England, with 60,063 spectators in attendance.
Arsenal has expressed their intention to continue hosting Champions League matches at the Emirates this season, should they qualify for the group stages. After finishing third last season, Arsenal has a convoluted qualification process to navigate and has been drawn against Linkoping in their first qualifier on September 6.
The success of hosting women’s matches at the Emirates has led to discussions about making it the permanent home for the Arsenal Women’s team. Jonas Eidevall, the manager of Arsenal Women, believes that moving to the Emirates Stadium is a realistic long-term target for the team. He has witnessed the growth in attendance and the positive culture surrounding women’s football at the Emirates and believes that it could become the team’s permanent home.
Eidevall stated, “Five years ago, if someone had said that Arsenal’s long-term plan is to move to the Emirates Stadium, people would ask how that can happen. Now I think people understand that might be realistic for the future.”
The decision to host more WSL matches at the Emirates Stadium is a significant step forward in promoting women’s football and providing a larger platform for female athletes. It allows for greater exposure and recognition of the talent within the women’s game. With the growing interest and support for women’s football, it is important for clubs like Arsenal to continue investing in and promoting the women’s team.
As the 2023-24 season approaches, fans eagerly await the opportunity to watch their favorite players compete at the iconic Emirates Stadium. The increased number of WSL matches hosted at the stadium will undoubtedly contribute to the continued growth and success of women’s football in England.