The cumulative attendance for this season’s Women’s Super League has broken the division’s record with six rounds of games still to play, the Football Association has announced.
A crowd of 32,970 watched leaders and champions Chelsea beat Arsenal 3-1 at Stamford Bridge on Friday to take the overall attendance figure for 2023-24 to 717,721.
That moved it past the figure for the whole of last term – 689,297 – which was the previous best mark.
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Our pick of the weekend’s best goals from match week 12 in the WSL, including stunners from Lauren James, Kenza Dali and Laura Coombs
The attendance record for an individual WSL game was broken this term in Arsenal matches at the Emirates Stadium against Liverpool in October (54,115) and then Chelsea in December (59,042).
The Gunners have since announced that just over 60,000 tickets were sold for each of their last two home league games, against Manchester United in February and Tottenham earlier this month.
Who could challenge Chelsea in the run-in?
Chelsea, Manchester City and Arsenal are separated by six points with six games remaining of the Women’s Super League campaign – so who is most likely to take the crown come May?
We take a look at each side’s prospects as the season enters its final two months…
Why Chelsea are favourites for fifth straight league title
Emma Hayes hit the nail on the head on Friday night: “My players love playing adversity.”
The pressure points were evident before Chelsea dismantled Arsenal in front of a record Stamford Bridge crowd.
Nearly an entire XI sidelined with injury, off-pitch distractions after Hayes’ clumsy comments on player-player relationships created unwanted noise, and a delay to kick-off because, of all things, Arsenal’s kitman failed to pack the correct coloured socks.
Nothing phases Chelsea. This is all business.
“It’s been a tough period, a tough day for us. But we know how to do this. We’re good at this. Trust me, that team is 1,000 per cent together,” Hayes told a packed press room in west London.
Read Laura Hunter’s piece in full here
Key WSL fixtures
March 23: Man City vs Man Utd, kick-off 12.30pm
May 5: Man City vs Arsenal, kick-off 1pm
May 18: Man Utd vs Chelsea, kick-off 3pm
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