Picture source: Katie McCabe Instagram- @katie_mccabe11.
Two legendary sides went head to head on Sunday as Arsenal took on Chelsea in the north London derby , in front of a crowd of 59,042 people, the largest ever recorded in Women's Super League (WSL) history.
The attendance number combined with the pomp and circumstance surrounding the game only proves that women’s football is growing at a rapid pace.
A NEW attendance record 👏
Arsenal v Chelsea has broken the record for the LARGEST crowd in Women’s Super League history.
It breaks the record which Arsenal set earlier this season against Liverpool which was 54,150. 🔥
Arsenal beat Chelsea 4-1⚽️ pic.twitter.com/UUUDQsTRNU— Her Sport (@HerSportDotIE) December 10, 2023
Until this point, the attendance record at the Emirates Stadium was 54,115 which was recorded earlier this year when Arsenal played against Liverpool. To put this into perspective, the attendance number at the women's Champions League finals in June was 33,147 people and that of the World Cup final was 75,784 people.
Nonetheless the north London derby game itself was one to remember.
The Gunners thrashed their opponents, winning 4-1 in what has been considered Chelsea’s worst loss in five years. England star Alessia Russo stood out the most, scoring two of these goals along with Amanda Ilestedt and Beth Mead. Also on the pitch was Irish captain Katie McCabe who provided support on the left wing.
BETH MEAD FIRES ARSENAL IN FRONT! 🔥🔴 pic.twitter.com/jwRZN8N6iZ
— Sky Sports WSL (@SkySportsWSL) December 10, 2023
The first goal came at twelve minutes into the match when Beth Meade pelted the ball into the net following up on a pass from Dutch international Victoria Pelova. This was short lived, however as Chelsea's Johanna Kaneryd was able to equalise just minutes later. Arsenal were able to level up when Amanda Ilestedt capitalised on a corner by heading the ball into the goal. Still before halftime, England international Alessia Russo ran down the pitch kicking the ball into the right side of the net. Russo's prowess on the pitch was evident when she scored once again, this time in the second half, after taking a penalty kick.
The game took place mere days after Chelsea manager Emma Hayes addressed controversial statements made by former Manchester City player, Joey Barton. In an interview on Piers Morgan’s “Uncensored”, Barton had previously said that he wouldn’t take anything female pundits say regarding men’s football seriously.
In response to these sentiments Hayes said, "Women were banned playing football up until the 1970s. I don’t expect any individual personality to understand their privilege, nonetheless you only have to see scores of women across the internet or in the business, whether you’re a presenter, a coach or a player to realise that we’re routinely used to dealing with systemic misogyny, bullying, and behaviour that has been pretty normal for a large part of the football public.”
Hayes’ comments carry weight as she is a powerful voice within the remit of women’s football. She is responsible for numerous title wins with Chelsea over her ten year tenure and has recently been hired as the new head coach of the US Women’s National Soccer Team (USWNT).
After the conclusion of Arsenal’s game against Chelsea, former England international and prominent BBC Sport commentator, Alex Scott also took aim at Barton’s comments. “To all the women in football, in front of the camera, behind it. To the players on the pitch, to everyone that attends game - keep being the role models that you continue to be. To all those young girls that are told no you can’t - football is a better place with us all in it.”
“Football is a better place with us ALL in it.” Bravo Alex Scott 👏🏼
We’ve tried and will continue to give Joey Barton and his comments as little airtime as possible however, this is the exact kind of response we stand by.#SportForAll #HerSport pic.twitter.com/fCsDyfJbM7— Her Sport (@HerSportDotIE) December 10, 2023
Scott’s words speak for themselves, and a new WSL attendance record is only the beginning with a bright future for the women’s game in sight.
