Beth Mead was named BBC Sports Personality of the Year at the same time her teammates were putting nine past FC Zurich in the Champions League.

SCHAFFHAUSEN, SWITZERLAND - DECEMBER 21: Caitlin Foord of Arsenal celebrates with team mates after scoring her team's second goal of the game during the UEFA Women's Champions League group C match between FC Zürich and Arsenal at WeFox Arena on December 21, 2022 in Schaffhausen, Switzerland. (Photo by Sebastian Widmann/Getty Images)
SCHAFFHAUSEN, SWITZERLAND – DECEMBER 21: Caitlin Foord of Arsenal celebrates with team mates after scoring her team’s second goal of the game during the UEFA Women’s Champions League group C match between FC Zürich and Arsenal at WeFox Arena on December 21, 2022 in Schaffhausen, Switzerland. (Photo by Sebastian Widmann/Getty Images)

Currently sidelined with an ACL injury, Beth Mead was on the red carpet on Wednesday night alongside teammate and partner, Vivianne Miedema, who is also out with an ACL injury.

In Switzerland, Arsenal were playing FC Zurich in their final Champions League group game.

Coming off the back of a 1-0 defeat at home to Lyon last week, the Gunners made no mistake in taking all three points from the Swiss side.

A hattrick from Frida Maanum, braces from Caitlin Foord and Stina Blackstenius, a Kim Little penalty and an 83rd minute goal for Mana Iwabuchi completed the rout.

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Arsenal finished top of their Champions League group with 13 points from their six games. They scored 19 and conceded five. 12 of the goals they scored came against FC Zurich over two games.

Back in England, Mead was picking up one of the most well-known sports awards in the country, the BBC Sports Personality of the Year, after missing out on the Ballon d’Or. She is the first female footballer to win the award.

Like Bukayo Saka, Mead was also voted England Player of the Year.  And, to cap it all off, was also named BBC Footballer of the Year.

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Speaking at the ceremony, she said: “I’m incredibly honoured to win this award. Yes, I’ve got this accolade and I did my job – I scored a few goals! But I couldn’t have done without [my fellow Lionesses], my dad, my mum and all my family.

“Most of all, this is for women’s sport and for women’s sport heading in the right direction,” she continued. “Let’s keep pushing, girls. Let’s keep doing the right thing.”

The 27-year-old also joked that she only got “three weeks sympathy” before Miedema was on crutches alongside her:

https://twitter.com/awfclips/status/1605658831450738699

Mead will be sidelined until the middle of next year making her participation in the World Cup unlikely.

Miedema’s injury, coming as it did three weeks after Mead’s, means she will almost certainly miss the tournament, although she is hoping for a miracle.

“It will take a very long time,” Miedema said at the BBC SPOTY awards.

“If all goes well, I will have surgery in early January.

“And from there I have to take small steps.

“I hope to be fit again early next season.

“The World Cup? That’s not realistic. Of course I really want to go to the World Cup. But I hope that after this I can continue playing football for a few more years and it just entails such a big risk.”

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