Beth Mead leads calls for revolutionary change that will take Arsenal Women to the next level
Arsenal Women's North London derby victory over Tottenham marked another historic day for the club and reignited the debate over whether Emirates Stadium should be their permanent home.
He gunners recorded consecutive sold-out crowds in a WSL first, as Alessia Russo's second-half goal ensured 1-0 victory to secure local bragging rights and keep his team in the title race.
More than 60,000 fans watched the match from the stands, just two weeks after the north London team crushed the Record attendance at WSL against Manchester United.
At the end of the season, Jonas Eidevall's team would have played six of their 11 WSL home games at the Emirates, with the remainder of their home games played at Boreham Wood's 4,500-capacity Meadow Park.
Arsenal Women's average home attendance this season is more than 35,000 (more than 10 Premier League teams) and has now sparked discussions about whether the Emirates should be the
Permanent headquarters of the club next to the men's team.
Speaking exclusively to talkSPORT, Arsenal and Lionesses star Beth Mead said: “We are setting the bar high and we are pushing for the
game to go to the next level. Of course, we want everyone else to join us and do that.
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“It will only benefit the women's game more and the fans have been incredible for a long time at Arsenal, but we are seeing a huge turnout at the Emirates every week. (We've had) two sold out tickets in one
Row, incredible atmospheres (and) it helps us get through the games.
“Last weekend (against Tottenham) was really important for us. The last 15 minutes we probably got a little tired and the crowd helped us through.
“We would love that (the Emirates to be our home) and obviously we want it to be our strength as well as Arsenal's home. We love playing there and we love playing in front of the crowd.
“I think the fans love coming to the games and being part of such a historic and amazing stadium. Of course, we as players want to push that week after week.
“As amazing as Boreham Wood has been over the years, you can't get many fans there anymore for fans who want to come. So it would be fantastic if we could make that (the Emirates) our home.”
permanently.”
mead's teammate Alessia RussianMeanwhile, she feels it is only a matter of time before the ground becomes the permanent home of Arsenal's women's team.
Reflecting on the weekend's feat, after scoring the winning goal, Russo said: “To show that we can sell it consistently and do a very good job is also a credit to the club and the way they present our team “. and our game.”
Regarding the possibility of the field hosting the team on a more regular basis, he commented: “I think we are definitely paving the way for that to happen in the future.”
Arsenal manager Jonas Eidevall also supports the idea.
Speaking to talkSPORT, Eidevall said of the Emirates: “Of course, it's where we want to be and the home we want to create for our fans.”
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The Gunners boss also urged the club to lead the way for other WSL clubs interested in a potential ground share with their men's counterparts.
He argued: “It has to start with a club where everyone is invested in both the men's and women's teams, where you have two teams, and Arsenal is very similar.”
talkSPORT's Lianne Sanderson, who won a historic quadruple with the Gunners in 2007, agrees.
Sje said: “Arsenal are probably the only team in the league that could play all their games in the men's stadium.”
When asked about the feasibility of this proposal, the former forward gave her playing days as an example: “Actually, it all comes down to programming.
“I think we used to play doubles with the men when they were at Highbury. Then we played against Fulham and people had to stay.”
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Shebahn Aherne agreed that the Londoners' approach in uniting their two teams under one club has been unmatched in women's football, but also warned against the potential move.
Aherne warned that there may be times when Arsenal find it difficult to sell the Emirates and noted the importance of their current stadium in these cases.
She said: “The only thing I would worry about, considering I've spent a lot of time in Borehamwood, is that it has a capacity of 4,500 people, it feels like home.
“And if you have the Friday night game, or the Sunday night game, that's where you can sell out Borehamwood every time.
Aherne continued: “Whereas perhaps there would be a risk that they wouldn't be able to get that capability in the Emirates, because it's quite a family audience and then the kids are in school etc.”
The Gunners will hope to solidify their bid to make the Emirates their full-time home with another big crowd at their final league game at that ground against Leicester City in April.
