Page 3 - Women's Soccer Scene Issue No.4 2022-23

Beth Mead has been voted the 2021-22 England Women’s
Player of the Year connected by EE.
The forward was selected by fans in a social vote as the
stand-out player in an historic 12 months for the Lionesses,
ahead of Leah Williamson and Keira Walsh in second and
third respectively.
Mead enjoyed a spectacular year scoring 20 times in 19
matches, breaking Jimmy Greaves’ longstanding record for
the most goals in one season for England.
She played a central role in the summer’s UEFA
Women’s EURO triumph, featuring in all of England’s six
games and was named player of the tournament and the
competition’s top goalscorer with six goals and five assists.
Her many exploits led her to being nominated for the
UEFA Player of the Year and also the Ballon D’Or Feminin.
The 27-year-old was surprised with the news by fellow
team mates Millie Bright and Rachel Daly at the Lensbury Resort in Teddington, where
the team continue to prepare for Friday’s sold-out fixture at Wembley Stadium
connected by EE against world champions USA.
Mead’s victory made it a double celebration for Arsenal with Bukayo Saka having
been announced as the England Men’s Player of the Year connected by EE in September.

UEFA have made the draw for the group stages of this season’s UEFA Women’s
Champions League.
Arsenal find themselves up against holders Lyon, whilst Chelsea also have a
tough group which involves Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain.
The group matches being on 19 October and Arsenal are first in action with what
is likely to be their toughest match, away to Olympique Lyonnais. Chelsea start their
fixtures the following night and will also be away to Paris Saint-Germain.
Barcelona, who will be seeking to lift the trophy for the second time in three years
having been beaten in last year’s final, are in a strong looking group which also includes
Bayern Munich, FC Rosengard and Benfica, who put Rangers out at the last qualifying
stage.
Perennial challengers VfL Wolfsburg, who have won the competition twice, will
be up against Slavia Prague, St Polten and Roma.
Chelsea were one of eight teams who qualified automatically for the group stages,
whilst Arsenal needed to come through qualification rounds and secured their place in
the last sixteen with a 3-2 aggregate victory over Ajax Amsterdam.

GROUP 1 GROUP 2 GROUP 3 GROUP 4
Chelsea VfL Wolfsburg Olympique Lyonnais Barcelona
Paris Saint-Germain Slavia Prague Arsenal Bayern Munich
Real Madrid St Polten Juventus FC Rosengard
Vllaznia Roma FC Zurich Frauen Benfica
news@womenssoccerscene.co.uk