How are Arsenal's England stars getting on at the Euros?

Beth Mead

How are Arsenal's England stars getting on at the Euros?

By Alec McQuarrie

England are drawing closer to making history. 

The Lionesses are passing every test so far this summer, displaying quality, grit and exuberance as they look to win the European Championships on home soil this summer. 

And Arsenal are represented by 12 players at the festival of football, with only Juventus, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and VfL Wolfsburg sending more. 

Arsenal are titans of the women’s game having won the most league titles, FA Cups and Premier League Cups – plus they are the only English side to win the Champions League. 

Under Vic Akers in 2006-07 they became the first women’s side to win the sextuple and were unbeaten in the league for six years – a whopping 108 games without defeat. 

In more recent years Chelsea have dominated the league, though Arsenal remain a force to be reckoned with, finishing inside the top three over the last seven seasons. 

Here we take a closer look at how the four England stars hail who from Meadow Park are faring. 

Beth Mead 

Beth Mead has dazzled the continent this summer. 

The 27-year-old is a firm favourite for Player of the Tournament and is leading the Golden Boot chase with five goals all scored in the Group Stage. 

The former Sunderland forward was the difference maker in England’s opening match against Austria. 

The winger showed tremendous composure to chest down a lofted pass before guiding the ball over Arsenal’s Manuela Zinsberger to secure a 1-0 win. 

Fireworks were to follow with a sensational hat-trick against Norway, as Mead ripped apart Norwegian left-back, Manchester City's Julie Blakstad, at will to earn a well-deserved Player of the Match award. 

The winger continued her unstoppable scoring form with England’s second in a 5-0 demolition of Northern Ireland, adding her second assist of the tournament with a pinpoint chipped cross. 

Spain had a plan for Mead in the quarter-finals, regularly doubling up to nullify England’s biggest threat and the forward was brought off in the second half and will be fresh for a crunch semi-final next Tuesday. 

Leah Williamson 

While Mead has caused infinite chaos to opposition back-lines, captain Leah Williamson has marshalled the Lionesses’ defence to near perfection. 

The centre-half has played every minute of England’s campaign thus far, keeping clean sheets in all three group matches and only conceding one against a highly dangerous Spain side. 

Her partnership with Chelsea’s Millie Bright has worked wonders for boss Sarina Wiegman, with Williamson’s incisive passing giving an already threatening side an extra dimension. 

Williamson has been at Arsenal since she was just nine years old and she has been instrumental in England’s passage to the last four. 

Nikita Parris 

The 2019 FWA Women’s Footballer of the Year was a key part of England’s route to the semi-finals of both the 2017 Euros and the 2019 World Cup. 

The 28-year-old signed for the Gunners for a club-record fee in July 2021, helping her new side to a second-place finish in the WSL and a run to the FA Cup semi-finals. 

Unfortunately for Parris, England are stacked with quality in forward areas this year, with Mead, Fran Kirby and Lauren Hemp making themselves undroppable so far. 

The former Champions League winner with Olympique Lyonnais got her first minutes of the Championship in extra-time against Spain, offering a welcome outlet to relieve pressure. 

Lotte Wubben-Moy 

Defender Lotte Wubben-Moy has had a disrupted tournament to date, missing England’s record-breaking 8-0 win over Norway after contracting Covid. 

The 23-year-old returned in time for selection against Northern Ireland but given the sparkling form of Williamson and Bright at the back, Wubben-Moy is taking on a supporting role. 

The Bow-born centre-half also has to contend with Manchester City’s Alex Greenwood who can also play at left-back. 

She only made her debut for England in March 2021 and is certainly one to look out for in future competitions.

Photo Credit: Getty Images

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