Arsenal vs Chelsea sets new Women's Super League attendance record
Over 59,000 fans watched the Gunners dismantle the Blues at the Emirates Stadium in Sunday's WSL London derby
Attendance records in women's football continue to be broken, as Arsenal managed to attract another historic crowd to the Emirates Stadium for their clash with Chelsea on Sunday.
The attendance of 59,042 surpassed the last record of 54,115, set when Liverpool travelled to north London this season, by almost 5,000.
Arsenal CEO Vinai Venkatesham said: "The support we’ve seen for our women's team has been incredible and is felt by everyone associated with our club.
"It's been encouraging to see attendances and broadcast viewing figures grow this season across the WSL.
"We want to ensure that we drive this level of support consistently, season after season, as we continue to accelerate the sustainable growth of the women’s game."
Arsenal dominated their guests to pull level with them at the top of the league, winning 4-1 thanks to goals from Beth Mead, Amanda Ilestedt and a brace from Alessia Russo.
They led from the eighth minute, when Mead slammed home to build on her brace against West Ham United last time out. Johanna Kaneryd pulled Chelsea level soon after but her strike was scant consolation when Ilestedt headed past Ann-Katrin Berger, causing Blues manager Emma Hayes to roll her eyes on the touchline.
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Russo's double then put the game beyond Chelsea's reach, extending Arsenal's winning run to eight in all competitions. They next face Tottenham Hotspur in the FA WSL Cup and Chelsea host Swedish outfit BK Häcken in the Champions League.
Almost 25,000 tickets have already been sold for Manchester United's visit to the Emirates in February, Arsenal’s fastest-selling women’s fixture to date.
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