Beth Mead interview: Arsenal forward on utilising 'super-strengths' against rivals Chelsea in Women's Champions League quarter-final

"We’ve got to bring our A-game to be able to get through to the semi-final," Arsenal forward Beth Mead tells UEFA in the build-up to the Gunners' quarter-final against Chelsea in the UEFA Women's Champions League.

Their upcoming meeting with the Blues will be the Gunners' 17th quarter-final in the competition, a figure only eight-time winners OL Lyonnes can match.

According to Mead, ambition and expectation to win trophies comes every season with Arsenal, but being Women's Champions League titleholders this season has added to a new element.

"It comes with a little more expectation and pressure, but we’re enjoying it," the 30-year-old reflects.

"I think it comes as part and parcel of where the game’s at now and we’re just looking forward to the challenge in front of us.

"We have two big games coming up against Chelsea, so only one English team is going to go through from that quarter-final, but that’s a challenge we can hopefully step up to."

This is the first time Arsenal have met Chelsea in UEFA competition, but the two London teams have a longstanding domestic rivalry with Arsenal winning three and Chelsea eight of the Women’s Super League titles since its introduction in 2011.

This season in the English top flight, they drew 1-1 at Arsenal Stadium in November and Mead was on the scoresheet when the Gunners won 2-0 at Stamford Bridge in January.

Arsenal FC via Getty Images

But Mead is all too aware of the Blues' qualities, as that recent victory was the Gunners' first in the league against Chelsea since 2018/19.

“As a team, we need to try and get into our super-strengths the most that we can, and be able to try and dominate and play good football — that’s what we’re very much known for.

“But we also know it’s not that easy and you can’t always play pretty football; you’ve got to take the rough with the smooth, as momentum shifts within the game.

“Against a team like Chelsea, they’ve got a lot of different threats on the pitch, whether it be attacking, midfield or defensively, so we know we’ve got to bring our A-game to be able to get through to the semi-final."

Mead feels the Women’s Champions League's new format has added further excitement and competitiveness, because every result plays a part in the final league phase table positions.

She pointed out that if the Gunners had held onto their lead against Bayern, who came back from 2-0 down to beat Arsenal 3-2 in Munich on Matchday 3, the Gunners would have accumulated enough points to progress straight to the quarter-finals.

Arsenal FC via Getty Images

Instead, they navigated a knockout phase play-off against OH Leuven, which they won 7-1 on aggregate.

"Under the new format, you get to play against a lot of different teams and it’s exciting, but I think the biggest change was understanding the process of where you end up and what one game can mean for you.

"For us, losing to Bayern meant we missed out on qualifying automatically by one point, but we played in the knockout phase play-offs and got through to the quarter-finals that way."

Last season’s 1-0 victory over three-time winners Barcelona in the Women's Champions League final in Lisbon was a highlight of Mead’s outstanding career.

She and fellow forward Stina Blackstenius came off the bench together in the 67th minute with the score 0-0, and the pair combined to produce the only goal of the game seven minutes later; Mead feeding a clever ball through to her Swedish team-mate to strike past Cata Coll.

"We said when we came on the pitch: 'Let’s do what we know we’re good at'.

"I know Stina very well, I’ve played with her for a long time and she knows me very well.

"Maybe I took her by surprise on that one, I think she thought I was going to shoot like everybody else, but it was nice for us to be able to link up and get that moment — we got the goal and ultimately helped us win the Champions League final.

"Being at the club for so long, with it meaning so much and failing so many times, to be able to get it over the line and celebrate that moment with people that I’ve spent a lot of my time and my life with made it a really special moment."

Arsenal FC via Getty Images

While Arsenal carried out their game plan to perfection to beat a Barcelona side that had scored 44 goals en route to the final, their rollercoaster journey to get there stands out just as much to Mead.

The Gunners bounced back from first-leg losses in their quarter-final against Real Madrid and their semi-final against OL Lyonnes to reach the final for the first time since they first won the trophy in 2006/07.

"I think the character that the team showed throughout the competition, coming back from first leg deficits against very, very good opposition in both the quarters and the semis, was a big part of our journey.

"I don’t think you’ll see that much resilience and character from a team in this competition like you did from us last season."

Mead has achieved numerous successes with England and Arsenal, including winning two Women’s EURO titles, but the Women’s Champions League has a special significance to her.

Arsenal FC via Getty Images

"I’ve watched the Women’s Champions League for many years and there are lots of players I look up to — like Wendie Renard, who’s so amazing.

"I’ve watched her for a long time win a lot of Champions Leagues and I’ve had the chance to play against her as well, so that’s been a nice part of my journey as well.

"It’s one of the competitions, as a player, you want to play in, never mind be able to go and win it.

"For us to still be the only team in England to have won it is something we’re very honoured to have achieved and we’re very proud."

Click here to read article