Beth Mead is back! England star's injury return has potential to kickstart Arsenal's season and lift Lionesses to greater heights

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.

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.

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.

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.”

Could that link-up between Russo and Mead for the match-winner be a sign of things to come, too? Since joining from Manchester United in the summer, Russo has shown glimpses of brilliance, most notably with the two goals scored against Paris FC in Champions League qualifying.

Her hold-up play has been good and she has tried to get others involved with some smart passes and nice touches. Those relationships with her new team-mates will take time to form, though.

Yet, there are signs that her and Mead might have the connection to make something click even faster. The pair have some understanding of each other’s game from their time together with England and that could be something to build on.

“I think it was nice that we got that chance to link up today and it got the winner,” Mead said on Sunday. “Hopefully we can do something special throughout the season.”

Russo shared that excitement when speaking to BBC Sport after the game. “Her reception here today, it’s exactly how we feel as players,” she said. “She's a top, top talent and it's exactly what you want coming back. She's so exciting and I can't wait to play with her."

And so, all eyes will be on England’s squad announcement on Tuesday. Will it include Mead? Wiegman will certainly be pleased that she got to be there to see the winger’s return, to make a judgement of her own on her as well as getting information from Arsenal.

With another fixture to come for the Gunners before the international window, against newly-promoted Bristol City, there’s another chance for Mead to get minutes under her belt and be a little sharper, in order to be in a position to impact October’s games against Belgium in a positive manner.

Asked by reporters if she is hoping to be included in the squad, Mead replied: “I am a hopeful person. Hopefully I get a chance to speak to Sarina at some point in the next few days and we will go from there. Unfortunately, I am not a mind-reader, I don’t know where her brain is at the moment!

“I am ready to compete. If Sarina thinks so or not is a different story. But in my own head, I am ready to compete.”

But while all the excitement builds, it’s important for everyone to remain patient. It’s important for Mead, it’s important for her team-mates and it’s important for the staff at Arsenal and England.

ACL injuries are brutal. Mead described her time out as being “torture throughout”, both “mentally and physically”. Speaking to GOAL after making her own comeback from an ACL tear this year, United States defender Tierna Davidson even said in June: “A lot of people say that it usually takes six to nine months after you've returned from this long-term injury to really feel like ‘yourself’ again.” Mead isn’t going to be back to her Ballon d’Or nominee form overnight, even if the early signs are positive.

“It’s not like she does 15 minutes here and now she is a 90-minute player. It doesn’t work like that,” Eidevall said on Sunday, possibly sending a message to England. “We work closely with the medical team, as we have all the way to this point. We continue to take good decisions, which is not about stopping her from playing, but also not being too offensive or optimistic and taking risks. It is important to manage this process in a good way and that has not ended just because she did 15 minutes today.”

The positive is that those 15 minutes were bright, they were sharp and they were match-winning. There is still work for Mead to do to get back to her best levels, of course, but Sunday’s cameo certainly whet the appetite.