Beth Mead is determined to make up for lost time.
Upon returning from her long-term ACL knee injury in October, Arsenal’s No 9 only needed six minutes to set up Alessia Russo’s stoppage-time winner against Aston Villa at the Emirates.
November’s brace against West Ham was followed up by the opening goal in a 4-1 win against Chelsea last Sunday to send Jonas Eidevall’s side level on points with their opponents, the reigning Women’s Super League champions.
Throw in a return to international duty — albeit with a disappointing outcome — and Mead has, quite literally, hit the ground running since that comeback.
“I’ve surprised myself, and others, at the level I’ve been able to play at within the last two or three weeks,” Mead tells The Athletic.
“I expected to be rusty — which I have been at times — but at the moment I feel like I’m in a very good position and I seem to have gone back up to speed quicker than I anticipated.”
Mead would be forgiven for affording herself more time to regain fitness and form after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament rupture against Manchester United in November 2022 — an injury that has swept through the women’s game in recent years.
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