As the players headed back to the dugout, club officials clinked their glasses, and fans made their way home, many will have looked back on the Women’s Super League season with satisfaction.
After all, attendance grew, and after the dip last season, women’s football is back on the up, right?
It’s true - according to WSL Analytics, total WSL turnout rose to 902,981 this season.
However, 40 per cent of these stadium visits were for a single team.
The latest figures from FBref show that the average attendance for an Arsenal Women’s game this season was more than three times that of their rivals Manchester City, who won the league, and Chelsea.
While it is important to highlight the success of the Gunners, who attracted bigger crowds at the Emirates than several Premier League clubs this season, their popularity distorts how fans perceive the growth of the game.
Remove Arsenal from the league total, and the attendance figures of the WSL actually fell again this year, from 562,324 to 531,095.
Arsenal have long been regarded as pioneers in women’s football. They have a history, championed by legends like Alex Scott and Ian Wright, invested in their women’s team early and have cultivated a loyal fanbase. The rest of the league is still trying to catch up.
The problem is that the gap is not closing. It’s widening. This season Arsenal carried more of the WSL attendance base than ever.
Why Arsenal Account for So Much of the WSL's Growth
The stadium WSL teams play their football in is a major factor in growing their fanbases.
Arsenal played all their WSL home games at the Emirates last season and will continue to do so next season.
The use of men’s stadiums is a huge boost for WSL teams, as fans of the men’s teams are far more likely to watch, it is a more exciting match day experience for casual and neutral fans, and the bigger stage builds hype around the game.
Clubs such as Man United, Man City and Tottenham only use their men’s stadiums for big occasions, such as derbies and knock-out games. The inconsistency, and moving between venues which are often less accessible to fans, makes it hard for teams to cultivate an identity and loyal fan base.
Everton, the only club alongside Arsenal to increase their numbers, made Goodison Park their regular home after the men’s team relocated. Their crowds more than doubled.
Tottenham recorded the league’s biggest fall, down 19,365. They can chalk up their drop to a single scheduling failure: last year's north London derby moved drew 28,825 to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, while this year’s only attracted 6,788 to BetWright Stadium.
Visibility online and on social media has also played a huge role in Arsenal women's popularity.
Arsenal began marketing their women’s team before the Lionesses’ success in 2022, which kickstarted the women’s football hype in England.
Their phrase "one club", which unites the men’s and women’s teams, sees the likes of Kyra Cooney-Cross in YouTube videos with Myles Lewis-Skelly, and fans seem to embrace both sides.
Some fans have called out a media bias - popular clubs like Arsenal drive content engagement, so more content is produced about the popular clubs, and a vicious cycle ensues.
Other clubs do not have the same level of marketing and advertisement for their women's teams.
Moving the WSL to Sky this season on a 5-year deal has limited the media noise around it. The blockbuster game of the season, Arsenal vs Chelsea, only attracted 71,000 viewers on Sky - 10 per cent of the 732,000 watching in 2024-25 when it was free-to-air on BBC One.
What this means for the future of the WSL
It is tempting to celebrate Arsenal’s record-breaking attendance levels and the positivity around women’s football.
Looking behind the headline number, though, the hidden downward trend is a warning sign for fans of the women's game.
More WSL teams need to be promoted for the game to develop. Games need narratives built around them, and although the family-friendly appeal was a success in its early stages, the women’s game needs more rivalry and more jeopardy to sustain interest.
It is no longer about relying on big fixtures, but building a sustainable and loyal fanbase across more clubs.
Chelsea are set to play WSL games at Stamford Bridge next season, with UWCL group stage games at AFC Wimbledon’s Cherry Red Records Stadium.
The next stage of the WSL’s growth may depend less on whether Arsenal can keep filling the Emirates, and more on whether other clubs can build something similar.
