Beth Mead says she knows there will be competition for places at Arsenal, but she had to leave Sunderland to push herself forward as a player.

The 22-year-old forward had a fantastic record with her former club, scoring 77 goals in 78 appearances at various levels for the Black Cats. But Mead revealed to Our Game Mag that she felt she’d given all she could to the side, explaining: “As a player, I knew I needed to move on. I hit a line at Sunderland, they built my foundations but I needed to push on and it’s making me a better player being at Arsenal.”

Then talking about the competition for places she’ll face this season, Beth said: “Don’t get me wrong, it can be frustrating for any player because you want to be playing and that’s what a manager wants, but I’m loving it here.

“I’m relishing the challenge, I’ve got to keep pushing on and hopefully me improving as a player helps the team as well.”

Mead’s been taking her chances so far with the Gunners, as she scored two against London Bees in the FA WSL Cup on Thursday. Both goals were penalties, but she won the first of those spot-kicks herself, so that shouldn’t take away from the achievement too much.

Now the striker just needs to keep her form going when she gets a chance in the WSL. Jodie Taylor is still in good scoring form at the moment, with two in the league and one in that cup match against the Bees, and Danielle Carter started the most recent league game, so Mead might not get the chance to take her place just yet.

But when she does, hopefully she’ll be up to the challenge like she claims.