Arsenal’s Kim Little scores a penalty against Manchester United at the Emirates [Liam Asman/SPP]

ANOTHER massive crowd is expected at the Emirates this Sunday when Arsenal take on Tottenham in what promises to be a pulsating match-up in the Women’s Super League.

The Gunners already hold the top five attendances in WSL history, and this weekend’s north London derby is only going to add to that record with in and around 60,000 fans set to flock to Ashburton Grove to see the action unfold.

It’s a far cry from the 5,000 or so supporters who saw Kim Little score her first-ever goal for the club in a 4-1 victory over Chelsea at the same stadium back in 2008.

In an exclusive interview with the New Journal, the Arsenal skipper admitted that the growth of the women’s game has brought with it new pressures – pressures that only help strengthen that “special feeling” the players share with the supporters.

Reflecting on some of the changes that she has witnessed since she first found the back of the net in Arsenal colours more than 15 years ago, Little said: “Back in 2008 it was a showcase game – you’d play a match at the Emirates once a season in front of maybe 5,000 fans. It’s taken from then until now to see the potential [in the sport], and a number of different things have allowed that to happen, like the London Olympics in 2012 and the introduction of the Women’s Super League. You can really see the growth of the game now.

Little celebrates with Gunners teammates [Jayde Chamberlain/SPP]

“There are very different elements to the game now, like more media commitments that add to your workload, and matches are shown live on TV. That can add to the pressures, but I see it as a healthy thing, too – to have all these people behind you, supporting you. It’s a very special feeling.”

Perhaps offering an insight into why the midfield maestro is so mesmerising out on the pitch, Little added: “Football is a form of entertainment, it’s a performance. People are paying to be entertained; for me, that makes you want to play well and put in a good performance, and you want to win.”

Arsenal go into Sunday’s showdown sitting third in the WSL table, three points behind joint leaders Chelsea and Manchester City. With just eight games left to go – including two titanic away days against Chelsea and City – the Gunners know they can ill afford any more slip-ups, like the one they suffered away to Spurs back in December when they lost 1-0 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Little said: “It’s a huge game for us, the north London derby is always a must-win. The last one didn’t go our way, we were disappointed that we didn’t make the most of the chances that we created. We know this time we need to be better, it’s really important to win and maintain the form that we’re on.”