Arsenal’s Beth Mead has been named the Women’s Super League Player of the Month for September, while her head coach Jonas Eidevall has won the Manager of the Month award.
England international Mead, 26, has enjoyed an impressive start to the 2021/22 campaign under Eidevall, who replaced Joe Montemurro as head coach in June and has guided Arsenal to a perfect five wins from their opening five league games.
Mead has registered three goals and three assists already, scoring twice in a 3-2 win over defending champions Chelsea in the opening game of the season, followed by another in the 4-0 victory away at Reading.
Mead also made it onto the scoresheet on international duty for England last month, netting in a 8-0 victory over North Macedonia in a Women’s World Cup qualifier.
Mead has featured in all of the Gunners’ games this season and beat an array of in-form nominees to scoop the award.
Aston Villa’s Remi Allen, Inessa Kaagman of Brighton, Chelsea duo Sam Kerr and Fran Kirby, Mead’s Arsenal team-mate Viv Miedema, and Tottenham’s Shelina Zadorsky were also named on the seven-woman shortlist.
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Mead told Sky Sports News: « Thank you for everyone who voted for me, I am honoured and these are the types of awards that you want to be winning individually.
« It means that my football is in a good place so I appreciate everyone who voted for me and against top, top opposition.
« I think I’m refreshed, obviously there was the disappointment of not going to the Olympics and I had the time off to find myself and my football again.
« I had my head on in pre-season I wanted to get my fitness levels up. I know I’ve got the ability to do things on the pitch but I needed to get my head screwed back on and came into this season feeling really good.
« I’m enjoying my football and that’s been showing. »
Mead and Kim Little have starred for the Gunners at the start of the season
Reflecting on the summer additions of Tobin Heath and Nikita Parris and the competition for the forward positions in Eidevall’s squad, Mead said the new arrivals have helped improve her own performances.
« The strength in depth that we have is incredible, » she added.
« The last few seasons we haven’t had that and we’ve been unlucky with injuries… for me it’s been the best thing possible.
« A bit of competition has made me kick into another gear, I know that in training I’ve got to be doing the best possible things on the pitch and the competitiveness in training is a joke right now, but for me individually it’s made me better. »