Most teams look to ease themselves into their league season, hoping for an opening match which is seen as realistically winnable.
While no game is won before the 90 minutes start, West Ham Women haven’t been handed this type of fixture – having been drawn against reigning WSL champions Arsenal for the first game of the new season.
However, West Ham aren’t in a regular position in regards to where they stand at the moment.
They have just completed their first season as a professional club, finishing seventh in the table – just four points off a top five finish.
One of the big focus points has been getting people to come and watch games, with attendances growing last campaign; the biggest of course came in the FA Cup final, where a massive 43,264 people were in attendance – despite West Ham’s men’s team game being played on the same day.
The challenge now is to keep people interested in the team for their second professional season.
One way for that to be done is a glamour tie early on and West Ham have arguably just been given the biggest of the lot.
Fans can experience an away day in London against one of the best teams the WSL has to offer, which should attract a number of fans – though it probably would have been even better if it was at home.
West Ham lost 4-3 and 4-2 against Arsenal last season, but managed to get a 0-0 draw in the opener against Reading.
If the Hammers could get a draw in their first game of the 2019/20 campaign, it would provide a brilliant start and could act as a catalyst to get more people’s continued interest in the women’s side.
