The winger provided a match-winning assist in her first appearance following an 11-month lay-off as she aims to get back to her Euros-winning form
Even before Beth Mead stepped onto the pitch for her first Arsenal appearance in 11 months, even before she assisted England team-mate Alessia Russo’s late winner on her return from an ACL injury, the Emirates Stadium was buzzing with excitement. Whenever Mead warmed-up on the sideline, there were raucous cheers. When she started receiving tactical instructions moments before her long-awaited return, chants of ‘Meado, Meado’ echoed around the stadium. And when she finally set foot on that pitch in the 88th minute, the noise was deafening.
For a short period, it looked like Mead’s comeback wouldn’t come on Sunday. Arsenal trailed Aston Villa from the 25th minute, when Maz Pacheco capitalised on some poor defending from a set-piece to head the visitors in front. Try as they might, the Gunners just couldn’t find a way through the visiting defence. Their winless start to the new Women’s Super League season looked set to continue.
Would head coach Jonas Eidevall take this opportunity to put in Mead, a player who had been sidelined for almost a full year? It seemed more likely that someone with a bit more match-sharpness might be trusted to come on and change the game, especially as Mead hadn’t been seen warming up for some time.
But the 35,829 fans inside the Emirates would not leave disappointed on Sunday. Not only did they get to see the return of the 2022 Ballon d’Or runner-up – they also got to see her contribute to the most incredible turnaround. In the 88th minute, Mead came on. In the 92nd minute, Katie McCabe hammered home an equaliser. In the 94th minute, Mead teed up Russo to strike home the winner.
“Pretty amazing,” the England star told reporters afterwards, describing her feelings in the moment. “It’s been a long, long time coming. There have been a lot of hard days, a lot of good days. I think, ultimately, you want to do your job, you want to do something you love – and that had been taken away for such a long time. So to be able to get out there, with that type of reception from the fans, was pretty incredible.”
"She deserves that reception. She's worked so hard,” Eidevall added. “She's had a really difficult year, both being injured and her mum passed away. We know that it's been incredibly tough for her and it's so nice to see her back on the pitch, seeing her being able to perform straight away.
“You never know that. You have the hope, otherwise I would never have put her on, but you don't know it until you've seen it. That was very nice, so a special moment.”
Patience is certainly important with a player who had been out of action for 11 months, but the early signs show that Mead is on a positive path when it comes to getting back to her best. What impact could her return have for both club and her country?
Getty ImagesEnding Arsenal’s wait to win
It’s been a really tough start to the season for Arsenal. Knocked out in Women’s Champions League qualifying, that disappointment has had a knock-on effect in the Gunners’ start to the new WSL season, with Sunday’s maiden win coming at the third attempt after a shock defeat to Liverpool and a draw against Manchester United.
The north London club have not been helped by a short turnaround between the summer’s World Cup and those European games, with just 17 days between the two. Several players in Arsenal’s squad took their country to the final days of the tournament and balancing their requirement for time off with the need to return to club and gel with the new players – or gel as a new player, in many cases – has been tricky.
Throw in the long-term absences of Leah Williamson, Vivianne Miedema, Laura Wienroither and – until Sunday – Mead, and it’s no wonder the Gunners have looked a little out of sorts in these past few weeks.
To welcome back their star winger was a huge boost for the fanbase, then, and the lift that gave to the crowd was palpable. That energy certainly made an impact on the team as they managed to find two very late goals to win the game.
AdvertisementGettyEngland’s worries
It’s not only Mead’s club that has struggled in the last few weeks. England backed up their 2022 European Championship triumph with a run to the 2023 Women’s World Cup final in August, but since then, their Nations League campaign hasn’t got off to a great start.
There were a few problems that plagued the Lionesses during the World Cup – no natural left-back, a lack of real attacking spark and a formation change that suited some well and others less so. Sarina Wiegman’s side did brilliantly to overcome those obstacles to reach the final, but the problems have not just magically disappeared.
England need to top their group to qualify for the Nations League finals and, as a result, stand a chance of securing a spot at the Olympics for Team GB’s women’s football team. But after looking a little sloppy in their opening game, a narrow win over neighbours Scotland, they suffered a defeat in the Netherlands that puts them on the back foot early on. There is still no natural left-back, the attack still doesn’t look at its best and the formation is still a hot topic.
Even a fully fit Mead could not solve all of those problems, but the winger can certainly bring top quality in the attacking third already. We saw that on Sunday – as did Wiegman, who was in the stands at the Emirates to watch all the drama unfold.
Getty ImagesA change of shape?
Could Mead’s return have a significant impact on England’s formation, too? The 28-year-old is an out-and-out winger who thrives in those spaces. She can put excellent crosses into the box, she can drive inside and strike at goal and she has the goalscoring instincts to drift into central areas when the ball is on the opposite flank. These reasons, combined with her world-class talent, are why she racked up six goals and five assists in just six games at last year’s European Championship.
If she comes into England’s team now, though, in the 3-5-2 shape that Wiegman switched to during the World Cup, these qualities will not be maximised in the same way. Yes, Mead is adaptable and could be dangerous in a new role, but to get the best out of her then you want to play her out wide, not as a wing-back and not as part of a front two.
If she is called up for the Lionesses’ October squad, which will be announced on Tuesday, then it’s anticipated that any minutes in the upcoming games against Belgium will be from the bench. She’s only just come back, after all.
That will be a welcome boost, though, because those super-subs are something England have lacked since the likes of Russo and Ella Toone – who played those roles in the Euros in 2022 – have been integrated into the starting line-up.
But in the long-term, what does Mead’s comeback mean for Wiegman’s 3-5-2? With the formation not seeming to suit star midfielder Keira Walsh and it also lacking a natural place for Chloe Kelly, the in-form Manchester City winger, Mead could add to the case to revert back to 4-3-3.
GettyIgniting Arsenal’s season
Mead’s main contributions upon her return to fitness are going to be for Arsenal, though, and the Gunners will be hopeful that Sunday’s match-winning input was a sign of things to come because their season absolutely needs igniting.
Was this win over Villa that moment? It certainly felt like it could be pivotal, not just because it was a first win but because of the manner in which it was achieved. It’ll give the players an almighty feeling to have done what they did in stoppage-time.
And Mead played a big part in that. In the 94th minute, the way she darted past one defender and into the box dragged any attention away from Russo, who was waiting patiently on the edge. Suddenly swarmed by several Villa defenders, her quick pass back to the England striker was the wise decision and the strike, while it should’ve been saved by Daphne van Domselaar, won the game.
“For those of you who were here [on the opening weekend], how many times did Liverpool block shots from us in the box?” Eidevall asked those in the Emirates’ press conference room afterwards, referring to that shock defeat to the Reds. “It's such a massive part of it to say, to understand and to have that understanding: ‘Is my shot going to be blocked in this situation? And do we need another pass to set up the team?’
“And Beth Mead, she's extremely good. She's extremely intuitive in those moments. But that's what I mean when I say, ‘Will she get that straight away?’ Sometimes you don't, but she does, obviously, because she’s Beth Mead. And we’re happy about that.”