Beth Mead is in her 10th season at Arsenal, but her start to 2025-26 shows she still has something to offer boss Renée Slegers.
Beth Mead heads into Matchday 3 of the Women’s Super League season having played a key role in Arsenal’s winning start to the new campaign.
Despite playing only 77 minutes across their first two games, Mead has contributed three assists to help free-scoring Arsenal win matches against London City Lionesses and West Ham United to begin 2025-26, as they look to win their first WSL title in seven years and end Chelsea’s dominance in the English women’s top flight.
Her great start comes after a difficult summer for the England international after she was strongly linked with a move away from Renée Slegers’ side and only played a bit-part role in England’s summer success.
Although part of the Lionesses team that retained the UEFA Women’s European Championship trophy in July, Mead’s involvement was somewhat understated.
Her only start for England in the tournament came in the disappointing opening-game defeat to France, having to then make do with becoming one of Sarina Wiegman’s super-subs.
Beth Mead Euro 2025
In the end, 219 of her 279 minutes at Euro 2025 came as a substitute (78.5%), but Mead did make an impact when called upon, scoring and assisting in the 6-1 rout of Wales in the group stage before a crucial assist for Michelle Agyemang’s late equaliser in the quarter-final versus Sweden. Despite Mead missing a penalty in the final shootout versus Spain, England went on to win 3-1 on spot-kicks to secure their second successive Euros crown.
Mead’s influence was a far cry from the previous edition three years earlier, though. She topped the tournament goal involvements ranking at Euro 2022 (10), created more chances than any other player (16) and picked up both the Golden Boot and Player of the Tournament awards when England won the finals on home soil.
An 11-month layoff following an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury suffered less than four months after the Euro 2022 final win over Germany didn’t help her preparation for this summer’s tournament, though.
Sidelined for such a long period after some of the best form she’d displayed for both club and country was cruel. As well as her award-winning performances at the European Championship in the summer of 2022, Mead contributed 16 goals across 14 WSL appearances for Arsenal (9 goals, 7 assists) either side of the tournament before the injury against Manchester United in November 2022.
She also missed the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, with her absence felt by England despite them advancing to the final, where they lost to Spain.
However, Mead made an impact in her long-awaited return to WSL action in October 2023 versus Aston Villa. After coming off the bench in the 88th minute with the Gunners 1-0 down at the Emirates Stadium, Mead assisted the winning goal in the fourth minute of added time for Alessia Russo after Katie McCabe’s equaliser two minutes earlier.
That’s one of 10 assists for Arsenal in the WSL since her return from injury, more than any of her teammates, and one of her 52 overall in Women’s Super League history.
Beth Mead WSL Assists since Injury Return
Already the leading assister in WSL history going into 2025-26, Mead became the first player in the competition to reach 50 assists after setting up Stina Blackstenius to put Arsenal 3-1 up over London City Lionesses on the opening weekend of the new season, before adding another assist just 85 seconds later for Frida Maanum.
It could have been very different at the Emirates that afternoon had rumours turned into substance this summer. Mead had been strongly linked with a move to WSL newbies London City, who were supposedly keen to add her to their squad for their debut season as a top-flight club, but she remained in north London.
Her 52nd assist in the WSL came in last Friday’s 5-1 thrashing of West Ham, with Mead setting up Maanum’s opening goal at the Chigwell Construction Stadium.
That was also her 122nd goal involvement in WSL history, taking her to within one of her former teammate and current partner Vivianne Miedema’s competition record of 123.
Most Goal Involvements in WSL History
Of course, it’s unlikely Miedema is finished adding to her tally, but an interesting battle lies ahead to see which of the legendary women’s football figures will end up with more, especially with both now in the twilight years of their respective careers.
Sunday’s top-of-the-table clash with Manchester United in the WSL will give her an opportunity to potentially overtake Miedema, but she’ll have to improve on her record against them.
Mead has no goals and just one assist in nine previous WSL appearances (644 minutes) against United – her worst minutes-per-goal-involvement ratio against any opponent in the competition. United are the only team Mead has played more than once in the WSL and failed to score against.
Her form across the opening two matchdays of the new season is encouraging enough to suggest she’ll be able to increase her total against the Red Devils on MD3, however.
She leads the 2025-26 WSL assist rankings with three, equalling her tally from the whole of 2024-25 (in 21 apps).
The underlying data paints an even prettier picture for the 30-year-old, though, as Mead also tops the expected assists (xA) ranking in the competition with 1.32, just ahead of Anna Sandberg (1.16) and Lauren Hemp (1.01). She’s only completed 35 open-play passes and crosses in the league this season, and three of those have set up goals for her teammates.
Beth Mead WSL 2025-26 Assists
Now in her 10th campaign at Arsenal, and potentially her last, there’s every chance Mead will also have to settle for a super-sub role at club level this season after the permanent signing of Chloe Kelly and the record-breaking arrival of the first £1 million WSL player Olivia Smith in July.
If it does turn out to be her final season at the Gunners, the start Mead has made in 2025-26 suggests it could be one of her most memorable yet.
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