Arsenal’s McCabe talks North London Derby mentality and importance of big attendances | OneFootball

The Emirates Stadium will be the stage for Arsenal’s women’s team tomorrow as a record-breaking 51,000 fans flood through the turnstiles to witness the first North London Derby of the season against Tottenham Hotspur.

One player who knows all about the North London Derby and the importance of the fixture is fans’ favourite Katie McCabe. The Republic of Ireland international came off the bench to feature in the last North London Derby at The Emirates Stadium in May when a Caitlin Foord brace and a remarkable Beth Mead solo goal saw Arsenal end the match as 3-0 victors.

McCabe has been speaking to the media including FAWSL Full-Time ahead of the latest North London Derby instalment this weekend.

“We’ve seen Spurs over the last few years invest in their women’s team and I think they’ve done a great job with that,” McCabe said. “With that, you get more quality in the games and you get that derby feeling.

“Last year’s game away from home at Barnet was tough for us, we’d done well to get the equaliser and kept playing. They looked to frustrate us and were physical and that’s what a derby game is all about.

“It’s up to us to control our minds and that mentality and we’ll be ready for any physicality that will be thrown at us tomorrow. Ultimately, it’s about playing football and playing it our way which is the Arsenal way.”

McCabe joined The Gunners back in 2015 and she has been a consistent member of the squad since. Her versatility has been key to her success in North London, enabling her to play in any formation or at any stage of a game.

There is strong competition for places on the left this season, especially with the addition of Lina Hurtig and the resurgence of Steph Catley and Caitlin Foord. McCabe must prove her quality to head coach Jonas Eidevall more than ever before to retain her place in the team.

She said “When you’re playing for a club like Arsenal, there’s always going to be quality in every position and sometimes even two players in each position. I know I’m quite versatile, I played in four different positions last year and I think that gives Jonas something to think about.

“It’s up to me to train 100%, work hard and push. If it is Steph or Caitlin on that left-hand side, I need to work as much as I can to give Jonas a difficult decision to select his team.

“I want us to win every week whether I’m playing my part on the pitch or on the bench.”

After the overwhelming success of the UEFA Women’s EURO 2022, culminating in a sold out Wembley crowd watching The Lionesses become European champions, high attendances and the use of men’s stadiums are more important factors than ever before as the domestic game looks to grow.

Spurs broke the Barclays Women’s Super League attendance record at their home stadium in 2019, with 38,262 fans watching them fall to a 2-0 defeat to The Gunners. Arsenal hope to create something special themselves by welcoming over 51,000 fans to The Emirates Stadium this weekend, potentially breaking the attendance barrier almost three years on.

“Obviously, I watched a lot of games at the EUROs which was really enjoyable,” McCabe said. “As a player, you don’t really see or feel the atmosphere before you go out for the warm-up and then it cranks up a notch as you’re walking out to begin the game when everyone is fully seated.

“Arsenal have done a terrific job, tapping into that momentum from the EUROs and really pushing this game. A North London Derby at The Emirates, 51,000 tickets sold, it’s unbelievable and that’s off the back of a fantastic EUROs with The Lionesses obviously getting the win.”

Tickets for the North London Derby can be purchased by clicking here. Tickets will also be available from the Arsenal box office tomorrow.