Beth Mead (9 Arsenal) and Clare Wheeler (7 Everton) in action during the Barclays FA Womens Super League game between Arsenal and Everton at Manganta Pay UK Stadium Meadow Park in London, England. (Liam Asman/SPP)
Beth Mead has reflected on some of the most significant memories of her Arsenal career so far.
That included May’s UEFA Women’s Champions League win in Lisbon over Barcelona – when Sweden international Stina Blackstenius scored the only goal of the game.
And Mead spoke to the club’s official website about how she felt as she came on to the pitch as a substitute with Blackstenius in the 67th minute during that match – with the two combining seven minutes later for the goal.
“When I did come on the pitch with Stina, I knew what I had to do,” she said.
“I love playing with Stina and she’s a great outlet to have. I try to spot her runs and she makes it very easy for me, to be fair.
“In the instance we scored, I think most people probably would have expected me to shoot with my left foot. But I kept thinking about all of those blocked shots and knew if I didn’t get it right, it was a chance wasted.
“I couldn’t tell you how I saw Stina, but I just knew she was in that area. I knew the way you sometimes just know. She was there. Perfect touch, perfect finish. The rest is history.
“These things happen because we’ve practised them a million times on the pitch together. I’m just happy this one paid off.”
Beth Mead: Arsenal know what we are capable of
She went on to say that winning the Champions League was motivation to pick up more trophies in the future – adding that she and her partner Vivianne Miedema have recently constructed a cabinet in their home to display some of their medals and trophies.
“When you win things, you become hungrier to win more. I think ultimately, we know what we’re capable of as a team. Now there’s the expectation to do that on the regular. We look back at some of the games so far this season and we ask, ‘Why are we not getting it over the line?’
“That’s the frustration. We know the level we reach when we’re at our best but we need to do that every single week. It’s easier said than done and that’s the hard part about football – it’s an ever-changing game. But we’ll keep zoning in on how we can be the best version of ourselves on a regular basis.”
