Arsenal are set to break the women's club attendance record on Monday night when they take on Wolfsburg at the Emirates. The Gunners announced over the weekend that they have sold over 60,000 tickets.
The current attendance record is 49,094 from the Women's FA Cup Final at Wembley Stadium last year where Chelsea won 3-2 after extra time.
Arsenal are the only Women's Super League team to have won the Champions League, taking the title in 2007. The Gunners managed to fight back from 2-0 down to obtain a draw, so they will be looking to work on this to progress into the final to meet Barcelona at PSV Stadium.
Goals from Rafaelle Souza and Stina Blackstenius brought Arsenal back into the game last week which means that they come into this game on an equal playing field.
Barcelona currently holds the world record for women's football attendance, when over 91,000 fans went to see them win against Real Madrid in the 2022 Champions League Quarter-Final.
Lotte Wubben-Moy took to the media on Sunday afternoon to explain what it feels like to play in front of a sold-out Emirates.
"I think exciting doesn't do it justice. I don't think any amount of words will be able to do that justice. There are a lot of feelings, a lot of sentiment, a lot of hard work that's gone into this and a lot of people will see this final end product of a sold-out stadium, but I think for me and for everyone at the club, it's about the process.
"This started months and months ago in the recruitment process of being able to bring in as much expertise in the backroom staff to be able to say 'okay, we are supported by staff that can, the first minute that final whistle blew at Bayern Munich go okay, we're going to get tickets on sale' and I think within the first 24 hours there were already 10,000 tickets sold."
The feeling of playing at the Emirates will be incredible for all the players, however, Lotte explained how it is extra special for her, as a Gunners fan, who has grown up following the men's team at the stadium.
She went on to explain that she wants the fans at the game on Monday to make as much noise as possible to support the team to a win.
"I don't think I'd ever have dreamed of it to be honest. It's quite an emotional thing I think for everyone to experience not only as players but for you guys as well being in it for such a long time.
I think Karen Carney described it as a start-up business and women's football is in maybe its infant years. We're walking but we're about to start running and we're probably about to start sprinting as well.
Everything is coming at the right time. As long as we have that backbone, and we have the opportunities to go and do it, the sky's the limit. I feel incredibly lucky to be a part of it. But then I'm also like, we deserve it. This is what we're here for."
The women's side has experience playing at the Emirates, for Champions League matches and for the North London derby, but a few games a season isn't enough for the side. They are looking to progress and play more games there over time.
"When you look at the future of sustainability in the game and for Arsenal Women, that's what's most exciting for me. Not only to play in a Champions League semi-final at a sold-out Emirates Stadium, but the prospect of so many more games there."
Jonas Eidevall also took to the media to explain the significance of the sell-out and his admiration for the fans that continue to support the club.
“It’s a huge occasion for us as a team, as a club. It’s a compliment to a lot of people that have been involved in pushing the sales of the tickets and generating the interest.
"It’s astonishing that it’s happening and we’re going to make our very best to repay all the faith put in us, but also to enjoy the moment. I think our fans have been nothing short of brilliant this season, absolutely magnificent, and if they can be just as magnificent tomorrow, that’s going to be a huge boost for the whole team."
Arsenal are currently sat at fourth in the WSL table, nine points off the top spot but with two games in hand. This means they are not only fighting for Champions League, but are still in the WSL title race.
"It’s about me and the players believing we can do it, and we’re going to put everything out there on the pitch. It’s one game that separates us from a dream, so let’s bring everything on the pitch and leave it there.
"I don’t see this as an endpoint for it, and for me, this has always been the natural progression, that we were going to get here. If it was this game or not, I don’t know, but I felt the club has had a plan.
"For me, it’s about sustaining, having consistency on it, and I hope when we look back on the day tomorrow in history, we can see that was one of the starting points, where we started making this a regular occurrence."
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Match Information
Arsenal face Wolfsburg on Monday 1st May at the Emirates Stadium, with a kick-off time of 17:45. The game will be shown live on DAZN.