As Beth Mead played her final game at Emirates Stadium, nine seasons in an Arsenal shirt flashed before her eyes.
Joining from Sunderland as a 22-year-old in 2017, Mead developed and grew as a player alongside an Arsenal side that was itself evolving. Over time, she became one of the club’s defining figures, greeted by chants of “Meado” each week and a player who can take huge credit for driving the growth of the women’s side in North London.
Age 31, Mead brings her Arsenal chapter to a close after nine seasons, with reported interest from clubs including Manchester City Women and London City Lionesses.
What is Beth Mead’s legacy?
After joining Arsenal in 2017, Mead helped Arsenal to the Women’s Super League title in 2018/19, the club’s most recent league triumph.
She has gone on to make 266 appearances and score 86 goals for the club.
As well as the WSL title, her honours list also includes three League Cups, one FIFA Women’s Champions Cup and most memorably, a Champions League victory.
In that 2025 final against Barcelona, Mead came off the bench in the 68th minute to assist Stina Blackstenius’ winner - a contribution that summed up her intelligence, awareness and ability to influence games in decisive moments.
However, her role shifted in her final seasons. Increasingly used as a substitute, it felt like her time at Arsenal was nearing its conclusion.
That made her decision in summer 2025 all the more interesting. Despite a lucrative offer from London City Lionesses, Mead chose to stay and fight for her place - a reflection of her love affair with Arsenal.
She has always had a connection with the supporters and has regularly said how the club has “the best fans in the world.”
"Meado" A fan favourite
Internationally, Mead became a household name following Euro 2022, where the Lionesses emerged victorious and Mead was named player of the tournament and winner of the Golden Boot.
Beth Mead was voted BBC Sports Personality of the Year following her Euros success, becoming the first female footballer to win the award, further proof of women's football making it to the mainstream.
That success helped drive a surge in WSL attendances, with Arsenal among the biggest beneficiaries, and Mead one of the main faces of that growth.
Her impact goes beyond her goal involvement numbers. Mead’s impact on the growth of women’s football at Arsenal cannot be underestimated. She became a fan favourite, admired not only by Arsenal supporters but also respected by opposition fans across the league.
Shirts and scarves bearing her name and chants of "Meadoooo" from the stands became a constant at the Emirates.
“I feel a lot of pride, sadness and happiness” - Mead
Following her final appearance playing in an Arsenal shirt at the Emirates against Everton on Wednesday 13 May, she said: “I feel a lot of pride. I feel a lot of sadness. I feel a lot of happiness that this amazing chapter has been part of my life and I've had an amazing chance to play for this amazing club for so long.
“It's been an emotional day, night and few weeks, but I couldn't be prouder to have done what I've done.
“I just want to thank the fans for how amazing they've been over the years and how much the game's evolved. We played at Meadow Park and there weren't many people there, but it's evolved. Arsenal will always have the best fans in the world.
“I'll be able to reflect and be proud of my journey. Not many people get to play at a club for nine and a half years, and it's something I'm proud of, and I've been proud of doing since I started here in 2017. So yeah, I'm going to obviously miss it a lot, but I'm very happy that it's been part of my chapter.”
Arsenal’s Director of Women’s Football Clare Wheatley added: “Beth has made a huge contribution to our football club over nine years, and will go down in history as one of our best forwards and a legend of the club.”
