Magic Mead gives Arsenal perfect start
LIFT-OFF for Arsenal, for England hero Beth Mead, and for a Women’s Super League season that promises to be unlike anything seen before. National mourning in England meant a false start to this campaign — last week’s curtain raiser was postponed — but there was no stuttering from Arsenal at a sold-out Meadow Park last night. They ran out comfortable winners over Brighton, with Mead picking up where she left off after the Lionesses’ glorious summer. She netted Arsenal’s third and fourth. Mead created their second for Stina Blackstenius, too, after Kim Little set them on their way. At the other end, there was little to trouble
Leah Williamson, who captained England to Euro 2022 glory, and the rest of the Arsenal back four. Not after Emma Kullberg was sent off early for Brighton. Tougher tests await Jonas Eidevall’s side, who were pipped to the title by a single point last season. Bigger crowds, too. Arsenal are set to smash the WSL attendance record in next week’s north London derby, having sold more than 45,000 tickets. They are not alone — every club has seen a spike in support after England’s glorious run, when Mead won the Golden Boot and Player of the Tournament. After all of the noise and colour and ecstasy of last summer, though, 3,238 supporters fell silent. Before kick-off, a minute to remember. Then the national anthem. And then some football. Arsenal have never failed to beat Brighton in the WSL and it wasn’t long before regular service resumed. After just seven minutes, Blackstenius latched on to a through-ball and was about to pull the trigger when her ankle was clipped by Kullberg. Arsenal demanded a penalty, referee Lisa Benn rightly gave a free-kick; the foul had occurred inches outside the area. A red card followed and Kullberg could have few complaints. Except perhaps one: replays suggested Blackstenius had strayed offside in the build-up. Down to 10, Brighton were in survival mode already. Arsenal launched wave after wave of attack. Until Little’s opener on 28 minutes, however, few clear-cut chances arrived. Caitlin Foord had the clearest of them, dragging a shot wide, and the cruel irony is that Arsenal’s breakthrough came shortly after Brighton’s first real foray forward — Elisabeth Terland firing wide. Somehow it stayed 1-0 until the break. Despite Blackstenius hitting the bar. Despite Lia Walti forcing Ireland keeper Megan Walsh into a fine save and despite a hatful of Arsenal openings. A Brighton counter ended with a squandered opportunity — this time Katie Robinson’s shot was well saved by Manuela Zinsberger. Moments later, Arsenal made the visitors pay again, Mead finding Blackstenius who finished emphatically. From there, it was a case of how many. Mead combined with partner Vivianne Miedema to make it three. Her second, Arsenal’s fourth, arrived seven minutes from time after a neat dummy. It could, and probably should, have been more.