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Arsenal head coach Jonas Eidevall calls for more WSL games at bigger stadiums

Arsenal head coach Jonas Eidevall: "We just need to make sure that we now find stadiums that allow all attendances to come in and watch. I think that will be the problem because we have a very low number of medium-sized stadiums in the country."

PA - Emirates Stadium GV
Image: Arsenal head coach Jonas Eidevall has called for more WSL games to be played at bigger stadiums

Arsenal head coach Jonas Eidevall is confident the new Barclays Women's Super League campaign can live up to expectations and deliver a high-quality product on the pitch, and has called for more WSL games to be played at bigger stadiums.

After all English football fixtures were postponed last weekend as a mark of respect following the Queen's death, Arsenal's home game against Brighton at Meadow Park will kick off the season on Friday night.

Following England's success in Euro 2022 this summer, there is more interest than ever in the new WSL campaign.

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Jonas Eidevall believes that England's Euro success could help his Arsenal side going into the new WSL season.

Four Arsenal players - Lionesses skipper Leah Williamson, Golden Boot winner Beth Mead, Nikita Parris (now at Manchester United) and Lotte Wubben-Moy - were part of Sarina Weigman's squad who beat Germany at Wembley in front of a competition-record 87,192 attendance at Wembley.

On the back of that success, several WSL clubs have seen a boost in season-ticket sales.

Eidevall feels the fans will not be left disappointed - and continued increased interest could lead to calls for more games being played at larger-capacity venues.

"I'm sure that the players will respond in a way that will be excellent because of the quality on the pitch and we see that the sporting product is of high quality," the Arsenal boss said.

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"We just need to make sure that we now find stadiums that allow all attendances to come in and watch. I think that will be the problem because we have a very low number of medium-sized stadiums in the country.

Arsenal fans applaud the players after the FA Women's Super League match at the Emirates Stadium, London. Picture date: Sunday September 5, 2021.
Image: Arsenal fans applaud the players after the FA Women's Super League match at the Emirates Stadium

"You either have smaller stadiums or really big stadiums and our game that didn't go ahead against Manchester City is a perfect example of that.

"We are two good teams with a lot of interest which is going to be a sell-out in their Academy stadium, so the question is: if so many more people want to watch the game, where do we play that? So we really can have all the people who want to come to the game and make sure they have access to it."

Arsenal have already sold more than 40,000 tickets for the north London derby against Tottenham at the Emirates Stadium on September 24.

That will beat the WSL record of 38,262 when the two teams met at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium during 2019.

Eidevall feels the upward trend will continue.

"In the end, it is about creating a product that means so much to people that you go there and you watch the game even if it is a snowstorm, even if it is not convenient because you care so much about the team and you want to be there so much. We try to do our best on the pitch to create that," the Swede said.

Chelsea's Pernille Harder and Arsenal's Noelle Maritz (left) battle for the ball during the FA Women's Super League match at the Emirates Stadium
Image: Chelsea's Pernille Harder and Arsenal's Noelle Maritz (left) battle for the ball during the FA Women's Super League match at the Emirates Stadium

"Of course, if I speak just about Arsenal, as a whole club, we try to work together with all the departments so we can reach out to all our potential audiences and bring them to the stadium so we can experience that together.

"That's not a quick fix just to do one thing, but it's about creating that connection with people so they want to go and they feel that they have to go because it is their first priority - and then you don't have to worry about the weather in January when you have created that."

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Jonas Eidevall explains why he thinks that tributes across the WSL to the late Queen Elizabeth II will provide unity.

Women's Super League season to start on Friday

FOR PANEL

The Women's Super League season will begin on Friday September 16 after last weekend's fixtures were postponed following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

The funeral of Queen Elizabeth II will take place at 11am on Monday September 19 at Westminster Abbey.

The WSL campaign was due to start on the weekend of September 10 and 11 but fixtures were postponed following the Queen's death on Thursday.

The season will now commence on Friday when Arsenal host Brighton with kick-off at 7.30pm.

Women's Super League opening weekend

GRAPHIC

Friday 16th September

  • Arsenal vs Brighton

Saturday 17th September

  • Manchester United vs Reading

Sunday 18th September

  • Aston Villa vs Manchester City
  • Leicester City vs Tottenham Hotspur
  • West Ham vs Everton
  • Liverpool vs Chelsea, live on Sky Sports

How to follow the WSL on Sky Sports...

Get Sky Sports

Sky Sports - All 35 live televised games will be available across Sky Sports' flagship channels, including Sky Sports Premier League, Sky Sports Football and Sky Sports Main Event.

Sky Sports News - Running 24 hours a day, seven days a week, Barclays FA WSL fans can enjoy Sky Sports News (channel 409) rolling editorial coverage of the league and its storylines throughout the season.

Inside the WSL - Hosted by award-winning broadcaster and journalist Jessica Creighton, Inside the WSL is a comprehensive round-up of all things Barclays FA Women's Super League and women's football. Airing weekly on Sky Sports Premier League, the half-an-hour show will review and preview matches, including in-depth analysis and exclusive player interviews. Viewers can expect gripping behind-the-scenes access as well as a summary of all the action both on and off the pitch.

Sky Sports Social - Alongside coverage and visibility for the league across all Sky Sports' main social media channels, the bespoke Twitter channel @SkySportsWSL will continue to be the home of all Barclays FA WSL content on Sky Sports.

New to the 2022/23 season, the Sky Sports WSL TikTok account will be giving fans 360° coverage of the league and granting them exclusive access to their new favourite players. Also a first for the league, a new Snapchat Discover show The Dub aims to become the platform's new hub for Barclays' WSL content.

Sky Showcase - All Sky customers will benefit from being able to watch the opening weekend fixtures on Sky Showcase (channel 106) without a Sky Sports subscription. This channel is designed to curate some of the top shows, films and sports from across Sky's channels.

Sky Sports digital - Follow all the latest from the WSL across SkySports.com and app, including exclusive features and interviews, plus dedicated live blog coverage and in-game clips from games live on Sky Sports. You can watch free match highlights from every WSL game this season on Sky Sports' digital platforms and YouTube channel.

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