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Arsenal Women's star forward Beth Mead will leave the club at the end of the season. The 31-year-old announced her departure in an emotional video, bringing an end to nine seasons with the Gunners.
What happened?
Mead made 265 appearances for Arsenal Women, scoring 86 goals and winning the 2018/19 Women's Super League title and last season's Champions League final.
Renee Slegers, the Arsenal Women head coach, admitted it will be strange to see Mead in a different shirt next season. The club is grateful for all the time they had with Beth, and they want to give her a fitting send-off over their final two games.
Why it matters for Arsenal Women
Mead's departure is a huge loss for the team, but they are focused on their remaining games. They host Everton on Wednesday night, looking to get back into second place in the battle with Chelsea for automatic qualification to the Champions League.
| Category | Stat |
|---|---|
| League standing | 2nd in FA WSL, 51 pts, 15W-6D-1L from 22 games |
| Goals this season | 53 scored, 14 conceded (+39 goal difference) |
| Title race | 4 points behind leaders Manchester City W |
What comes next?
Arsenal Women will face a tough challenge without Mead, but they are determined to achieve more next year. Slegers said they will go for second place now, and they are frustrated but fueled to try and achieve more next year.
The Gunners also announced that defender Laia Codina and midfielder Victoria Pelova will leave the club at the end of the season. Director of women's football Clare Wheatley praised Mead, saying she will go down in history as one of their best forwards and a legend of the club. Mead said leaving the club isn't easy, but she leaves with love, pride, and gratitude. Arsenal Women will always be a part of her, she added.
