Missed Arsenal fairytale offers glimpse at potential of Miedema and Mead return
Arsenal's Katie McCabe hailed the “special” return of team-mates Vivianne Miedema and Beth Mead to the competitive fold following the 2-1 victory over Bristol City and tipped the duo to wreak plenty of havoc as they continue to work their way back to full fitness.
The Miedema-Mead partnership has been a distant memory for nearly a year after the striking duo cruelly suffered near-identical ACL injuries within weeks of each other last season.
Arsenal ’s attack has since been forced to reckon with the loss of two of its greatest threats. Mead marked her long-awaited return after 11 months injured last weekend with a game-winning assist against Aston Villa in injury time.
The Lioness was offered a handful minutes more on Sunday than the 15 afforded her against Villa, and she wasted little time in staking her claim for more as she met fellow substitute Frida Maanum’s cross with a diving header that glanced just wide.
And with four minutes of injury-time remaining at Ashton Gate, the WSL was offered a glimpse into a future in which both Miedema and Mead share the pitch once more as the Netherlands’ leading goalscorer, named in Arsenal's match-day squad for the first time in over 10 months, was called to replace Alessia Russo.
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And with one of her first touches since December, Miedema turned a defender and played in her striking partner Mead for what looked destined to be Arsenal’s third goal on the night.
Bristol City keeper Olivia Clark did well to thwart the golden opportunity, denying Arsenal another fairytale return for a hitherto injured talisman.
Even so, the chance showed an incisiveness in the final third that had eluded Arsenal and, on a night defined mostly by blunted execution in front of goal, kindled the growing anticipation surrounding the pair’s eventual full return to fitness.
Beth Mead and Vivianne Miedema of Arsenal acknowledge the fans after the win over Bristol City (Photo by Alex Burstow/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)“I said to [Vivianne] at the end I thought it was going to be a trademark Viv special because she slotted Beth in and I thought Beth was going to finish it off and it was going to be written in the stars,” McCabe told SkySports post-match.
“I’m sure we'll see that combination coming up in the next few weeks.”
The Ireland international added: “It was a really special moment for Viv, she's worked so hard over the last few months. Herself and Beth [Mead] to have them both back within a week of each other is so special for the team.”
McCabe was the difference maker in a hard-fought victory over bottom-of-the-table City.
Despite hogging 80 percent possession, the Gunners struggled to execute against City’s resolute low-block after Rachel Furness’ first-half header cancelled out McCabe's early strike much to the surprise of the visitors.
But the Ireland international supplied the necessary touch on the hour mark to restore Arsenal’s lead and earn them successive wins before the international break.
Katie McCabe celebrates scoring Arsenal's winner over Bristol City (Photo by Ryan Hiscott/Getty Images)A sense of hard injustice gurgled under a Gunners attack that considers itself a more ruthless competitor than the 2-1 scoreline let on. Low blocks have become a thematic foil this season for Jonas Eidevall’s side, and City’s commendable execution of theirs almost proved costly.
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But Eidevall could take heart in the promising returns of Mead and eventually Miedema, who look in no way reserved in their missions of making up for the time lost on the touchlines.
“I am very happy for players that have been out for so long, working so hard and have gotten back on the pitch,” Eidevall said. “When we can combine that with winning games, we are even happier."
On the performance, he added: "[Low-blocks] have been an issue for us this season, we have developed ways to work against them. If we get our execution better then it will be easier. Today we created enough but did not convert enough of the chances.
"We are finding ways to beat it and create chances, forming those relationships that we need to have to work together to get better at solving it. We now need to keep working on taking the chances when we get them.”
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