Beth Mead: Arsenal forward says record WSL crowd is ‘still just the beginning’

As was often the case at the Euros, fans did not file out of the ground as soon as the full-time whistle blew but stayed to revel in the celebrations, dancing and singing along to the music as the players did a lap of honour while stopping to sign autographs and pose for pictures with children in the stands.

It is that family-friendly atmosphere that has set women’s football apart and Arsenal chief executive Vinai Venkatesham said he was “hugely proud” of a day that marks “another big milestone for women’s football”.

He added: “I’m proud that our club is playing a big part in that. We sold over 52,000 tickets today, which is a phenomenal result.

“The real credit goes to our fans, who have really responded to the call after the Euros when they said they wanted to leave a legacy and see the stadium full in WSL games.”

Arsenal face Manchester United in November and Chelsea in January at the Emirates and Venkatesham said the focus has to be on “building”.

The Gunners played at the Emirates four times during last season’s WSL campaign, where they finished second to Chelsea by one point. They are due to play there in five more league games in 2022-23 with their home Champions League matches also set to be held at the bigger stadium, should they qualify for the group stage.

Former England defender Anita Asante said on BBC Radio 5 Live: “It is fantastic. To capitalise on the momentum of the Euros is what we wanted to see. We wanted to see stadiums full and creating this kind of atmosphere.

“There is a thirst for women’s football at the moment and it is great that they can showcase games like this in major, big stadiums.”

BBC presenter and former England and Arsenal defender Alex Scott said the crowd were “lapping it up” while ex-England goalkeeper Rachel Brown-Finnis added “we want more of this”.