A New Home for the Champions of Europe: Arsenal Women Expand Emirates Stadium Use for WSL Season

Arsenal make Emirates Stadium decision ahead of 2025/26 Women’s Super League campaign

Fresh off their historic Champions League triumph in Lisbon, Arsenal Women are preparing for another bold step in their ever-evolving journey. The club has confirmed that, for the upcoming 2025/26 Women’s Super League (WSL) season, they will play even more matches at the iconic Emirates Stadium — a decision that underscores both their growing stature and the surging momentum behind women’s football in England.

Having hosted nine WSL fixtures at the Emirates during the previous campaign, Arsenal have now committed to staging two additional league games at their north London home, bringing the total to eleven. It’s a move that reflects both fan demand and the club’s ambitions to take the women’s game to the next level — on and off the pitch.

From Borehamwood to the big time

Renee Slegers Arsenal Women UWCL trophy 2024-25

While the Emirates will take centre stage for the majority of league fixtures, domestic cup ties — such as the FA Cup and League Cup — will continue to be played at the Mangata Pay UK Stadium in Borehamwood. This familiar ground remains a key part of the team’s heritage, but the shift toward the Emirates marks a significant transition in Arsenal Women’s journey.

Head coach Renee Slegers made no attempt to hide her excitement about the development. Speaking to the club’s official website, she described the decision as “just the beginning” of a much bigger plan.

“I’m so proud of the journey we’ve been on with our supporters this season,” Slegers said. “From Borehamwood to the Emirates, on the road to every WSL and European destination we visited — and of course all the way to Lisbon — they’ve shown up and we’ve fuelled each other to an historic season for our club.”

Slegers continued:

“For us, this is just the beginning. Bringing every WSL match to the Emirates is another step for more supporters to be part of this special journey. We’ll come back next season, with fire in our hearts, more determined, more ambitious, and more together than ever.”

Her words encapsulate not just the passion of a coach leading a team at the top of its game, but the wider vision of a club determined to make the Emirates Stadium the true home of Arsenal Women.

Champions of Europe and a growing fanbase

Caitlin Foord Alessia Russo Arsenal Women 2024-25

The announcement comes just weeks after Arsenal pulled off one of the most remarkable achievements in their history — a stunning victory over Barcelona in the UEFA Women’s Champions League final. The win marked a significant moment not just for the club, but for English women’s football more broadly.

Riding that wave of success, Arsenal Women are now seeing record levels of engagement. The club revealed that more than 415,000 tickets were sold across the 2024/25 season — a figure that represents a 20 per cent increase on the previous year. This kind of growth is not just encouraging, it’s transformative.

With a squad packed full of world-class talent, including the likes of Alessia Russo, Kim Little, and Frida Maanum, there’s no shortage of on-field excitement. But crucially, it’s being matched by interest in the stands — and that’s what makes this move to the Emirates such a landmark moment.

Breaking new ground — and breaking records

As Arsenal prepare for the 2025/26 season, their sights are firmly set on breaking new attendance records. The club already holds the top four highest-ever attendances in WSL history, with the current record standing at 60,160 fans — set in February during a blockbuster clash with Manchester United.

Now, with even more games being played at the Emirates and Champions League-winning buzz surrounding the team, Arsenal believe that new milestones are within reach. The atmosphere at the Emirates during the past season’s key matches proved that there is a huge appetite for women’s football — not just as a novelty, but as a sporting spectacle in its own right.

In many ways, Arsenal are becoming the blueprint for how a major football institution can elevate its women’s side — investing in infrastructure, visibility, and marketing in a way that brings supporters along for the ride.

More than a football team — a movement

It’s easy to get caught up in the numbers — attendance records, trophies won, ticket sales. But the deeper story here is one of connection: between a team and its fans, a club and its community, and a vision and its reality.

Renee Slegers and her squad have created something special, and the decision to play more WSL games at the Emirates feels like a natural next step. It’s not just about convenience or visibility — it’s about ambition. Arsenal Women are not content to be the best in Europe. They want to inspire, engage, and build something lasting.

The Emirates Stadium, long seen as a symbol of Arsenal’s footballing identity, is now being reshaped as a home for the women’s game too — and that, perhaps, is the most exciting development of all.

What’s next for Arsenal Women?

As the summer unfolds, preparations for the new campaign will ramp up quickly. Arsenal will look to strengthen their squad and defend their European crown, all while continuing to push the boundaries in the WSL.

But one thing is already clear: they’ll be doing it with more fans than ever behind them, and on a stage that truly befits their status as Champions of Europe.

For Arsenal Women, home really is where the heart is — and this home just got even bigger.