**Beth Mead praised Arsenal’s mentality and persistence after the Gunners secured a 2-0 victory over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in the Women’s Super League.**
Arsenal had struggled to convert chances in recent matches, but goals from Mead and Mariona Caldentey secured three points, closing the gap on second-placed Chelsea to just one point and seven points behind league leaders Manchester City.
Mead, who scored and assisted in a player-of-the-match performance, said the result was vital following a difficult week.
“Yes, super important. It was obviously a fun game to play in for us,” Mead said.
“I thought we came out, especially the second half, really well. We’ve had a lot of games recently where we’ve had good momentum, played really well, but not put it in the back of the net.
“So I think when we were able to do that and get control of the game a little bit, it was nice to be able to be involved in.”
The England international once again found joy against Chelsea, continuing her strong record against the WSL champions.
Mead believes her current form has been driven by competition within the squad and the challenges Arsenal have faced this season.
“I think in adversity and competition and expectation drops a few, I think my mentality and levels go up a little bit,” the 30-year-old added.
“I love competing for a place, it makes me a better player, it gets more out of me. I think I seem to be doing that quite well at the moment.”
Arsenal’s attacking efficiency had been under scrutiny following their League Cup defeat to Manchester United, but the two-second half goals ensured a first away league win over Chelsea since 2018.
“We spoke about it in our meeting after the United game. We’ve had so many games this season where we just haven’t been cut-throat and ruthless in front of goal and that ultimately wins and draws and loses us games if we don’t put it in the back of the net,” Mead added.
“And I think we’ve worked hard. We work hard daily, you know, finishing, striking, but ultimately you’ve got to do it on the day in games.
“We had a tough week with a fixture against Man United, we played some good football, didn’t put it in the back of the net. We’ve worked really hard, we came back in really positive as a team. We know how close and small margins are at the moment for us and we’re trying to flip it the other way, so it’s a good start today.
“We’ve had a lot of moments where we’ve come here and thought we deserved more, so to be able to walk away today and be able to get the three points in the win is nice. And hopefully we can do that a bit more regularly now.”
Arsenal’s next challenge comes in the form of the inaugural FIFA Women’s Champions Cup, where they compete as a result of winning the Champions League last season.The Gunners face Moroccan team AS FAR in the semi-final on Wednesday before a potential final against National Women’s Soccer League champions Gotham FC or Brazilian side Corinthians.