Alessia Russo hit a brace as Arsenal thrashed Chelsea – watched by 59,042 fans at the Emirates Stadium [Daniela Porcelli/SPP]

THERE are points in a season that feel like: the moment.

Arsenal didn’t just beat Chelsea on Sunday, they thrashed them. The Gunners went goal crazy as they outplayed and bullied their London rivals all across the Emirates pitch to record a barnstorming 4-1 victory.

And even better, they did it in front of the real difference-makers: the fans.

A new Women’s Super League attendance record of 59,042 watched on in awe as a brace from Alessia Russo and goals from Beth Mead and Amanda Ilestedt made it clear to Chelsea that defending their crown this season won’t be so easy.

The home crowd were certainly given more to cheer about than when the previous WSL record attendance was set on the opening day of the season back in October – some 54,115 supporters again packing into Ashburton Grove to witness Arsenal lose 1-0 to Liverpool.

Jonas Eidevall describes an almost symbiotic relationship whenever he talks about his players and the fans, and Sunday was no different.

“I think the synergy between the crowd and the team was incredible today,” purred the Arsenal boss. “I think the team starts to get going well, but so does the crowd, and it just takes it to a new level.

“That’s the difference for me. I looked at it two-and-a-half seasons ago when we were playing Chelsea with 9,000 people here, and now we’re at 59,000 people.

“It’s 59,000 people that scream their lungs out for Arsenal – what an atmosphere we created together and how much I just look forward to getting back here again for the next time at the Emirates Stadium. Hopefully, we can sell a few more tickets then and get a sellout in the WSL.”

Arsenal boss Jonas Eidevall: ‘This atmosphere, this occasion and this performance – excellent’ [Daniela Porcelli/SPP]

Reflecting further on the growing numbers being seen, Eidevall added: “It just shows the really positive momentum around the football club at the moment. I’m not even going to say it was only a positive day for Arsenal Women today, I thought it was a really positive day for the whole of Arsenal Football Club. This atmosphere, this occasion and this performance – excellent.”

However, for all the hip-hip hooray and hype surrounding this win, Eidevall is well aware that, at the end of the day, it was only three more points.

Arsenal still find themselves second in the WSL table, albeit only behind Chelsea on goal-difference.

The Gunners face one more league fixture before a deserved winter break and, as fate would have it, it’s a trip to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this Saturday lunchtime to face north London rivals Spurs.

Tottenham will go into the derby desperate for a result having failed to register any league wins in five – and looking to put two maulings by Manchester behind them: Sunday’s 4-0 home defeat against Manchester United arriving hot on the heels of the 7-0 drubbing at Manchester City.

As for Chelsea, they’re still perfectly perched on the league summit, and will expect to stay there going into the new year as they travel to a Bristol City side sitting just one place off the bottom on Sunday.

Manager Emma Hayes, who grew up on the Curnock Street Estate in Camden Town, handled the Arsenal defeat with her usual direct and blunt honesty. “We can’t sit here and complain,” said Hayes after the game.

“We were outclassed on every front today. This isn’t about individuals. As a team, I don’t think anyone comes out of that performance with flying colours.

“That’s not our best, and, to be honest, that was probably our very worst. Arsenal had four shots on goal in the first half and three goals. If we want to compete, we have to be better than that. The better team won by a country mile and they bullied us.”