Arsenal Women sell out Emirates Stadium for Champions League semi-final, marking a pivotal moment in women’s football and raising questions about their future stadium.

• Arsenal Women sell-out 60,000+ tickets at Emirates for Champions League semi-final against Wolfsburg
• Over 240,000 tickets purchased for Arsenal Women matches at the Emirates this season
• Talks about the women’s team moving permanently to the Emirates Stadium

An historic moment for Arsenal Women and women’s football has been marked as they sell out the Emirates for their Champions League semi-final second leg against Wolfsburg on Monday. With the first leg ending in a 2-2 draw, Jonas Eidevall’s team hopes to secure their place in the final, backed by a record 60,000-strong crowd.

This season has seen a surge in support for Arsenal Women, with over 240,000 tickets purchased for their matches at the Emirates across three Women’s Super League (WSL) games and five Champions League fixtures.

Arsenal set a new WSL attendance record in September’s north London derby against Tottenham, where 53,737 tickets were sold.

The growing demand for women’s football has led to discussions about Arsenal Women’s future at the Emirates. They have clearly outgrown their current home ground at Boreham Wood, and a more permanent move to the Emirates is now being considered.

In March, when asked about playing more games at the Emirates, manager Jonas Eidevall said, “I think when we talk about growing the game, that’s absolutely fundamental for creating these moments with our supporters.”

He added, “I think it’s been absolutely fundamental, that without us being able to experience playing here so many times, but also to get supporters here to experience it so many times with us. It helps us to do this tonight.”

Eidevall expressed his hopes for the future, stating, “I really hope that it continues to push. I get the sense of belief that we’re seeing history getting created very quickly in front of our eyes when I see how the attendances and the culture is here at the Emirates Stadium.”

He continued, “Five years ago, if someone would have said that Arsenal’s long-term plan is to move permanently to Emirates Stadium, people would probably have asked ‘how is that going to happen?’, but now I think people understand that that might be a realistic vision for the future.”

As Arsenal Women prepare to face Wolfsburg in the second leg of the Champions League semi-final, the historic sell-out at the Emirates is a testament to the growing popularity of women’s football.

It seems that a permanent move to the Emirates Stadium could become a reality in the near future, providing a fitting home for a team that has consistently broken barriers and shattered records.

“It’s wonderful news that such a huge match for us has sold out,” said Chief Executive Vinai Venkatesham.

“We would like to say thank you to our supporters, with over 60,000 tickets sold for Monday’s match.

“We also say thank you for your fantastic support throughout the season – at Emirates Stadium, at Meadow Park and at grounds across England and Europe.

“It promises to be an exciting night in north London and we’re delighted that Jonas and our women’s first team will have the backing of so many supporters on this big occasion in the club’s history.”

Arsenal v Wolfsburg kicks-off at 5.45pm on Monday, 1 May. You can watch the game live, for free, on DAZN’s Youtube channel. The winner will face Barcelona, who beat Chelsea 2-1 on aggregate.

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