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Arsenal Consider Premier League Doubleheaders Involving Men's And Women's Teams

Arsenal Consider Premier League Doubleheaders Involving Men's And Women's Teams

The WSL champions will play a friendly against Bayern Munich this summer on the same day the men's team play Lyon.

Ryan Sidle

Ryan Sidle

Arsenal Women's team could soon play Women's Super League games at the Emirates Stadium in double headers with the Men's team playing Premier League games.

Women's football has hit a new high in terms of its profile in England after the Lionesses run to the World Cup semi-final in France this summer. Now women's teams must seize on the opportunity and turn tv audiences into crowds.

Arsenal could be the first team to make a major step towards getting more people to come to games by holding back-to-back men's and women's match at the Emirates Stadium.

Arsenal Women will face Bayern Munich Women in a friendly on July 28th at the Emirates, before Arsenal face Lyon on the same day and, according to the Mirror, if the double header is successful it could soon be pushed out to WSL and Premier League games.

Arsenal Women celebrate with their WSL trophy. Image: PA Images
Arsenal Women celebrate with their WSL trophy. Image: PA Images

Speaking about the games against Bayern later this month Arsenal manager Joe Montemurro said, "We are proud and excited to be to be playing at Emirates Stadium in the Emirates Cup this month. It's one of the first times that a club has incorporated the men and women's sides into a tournament, which we are proud of.

"This game will showcase some of the highest quality within women's football and by playing this at the Emirates it will enable more Arsenal supporters to see them in action. We hope that this brings plenty of fans to this game and then hopefully there will be potential for more double header games this season at the Emirates Stadium."

On Tuesday England's semi final with USA smashed the record for the most watched women's game in Britain with a peak of 11.7 million people seeing Phil Neville's side lose 2-1.

In comparison Arsenal, the WSL champions, only get average attendances of around 1,000, playing at non-league Borehamwood's Meadow Park, which holds 4,500.

England Women's rugby have played double headers with the England Men's team at Twickenham in the past, and the same has happened in the cricket as well.

It's better if the sports can attract the fans by themselves but the boost it brings can be an excellent start to getting crowds interested.

Bronze, left, could be playing at the Emirates. Image: PA Images
Bronze, left, could be playing at the Emirates. Image: PA Images

Fans going on the 26th could see England and Gunners stars Beth Mead and Leah Williamson as well as Lyon star Lucy Bronze and new signing for the Champions League winners Nikita Parris, who left Manchester City at the end of last season.

First England have a third place play-off with Sweden on Saturday, where they could equal their result from the World Cup in Canada four years ago.

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Topics: Football News, Phil Neville, Unai Emery, England, Women's Football, Arsenal, Emirates, Lyon, Bayern Munich