For a while on Friday, it looked like Arsenal were about to make their bid to secure Champions League for next season a little more tricky. Despite taking the lead away at Everton, thanks to Alessia Russo's strike, the Gunners went into the second half with the scores level after their hosts had made one of several promising counter-attacks count. A draw would've left them in the third and final European spot and just two points ahead of Manchester City with six games to go. Fortunately, head coach Renee Slegers had plenty to turn to on her bench, particularly in attack.
On came Caitlin Foord and Beth Mead, for Frida Maanum and Chloe Kelly, as part of a quadruple change on the hour mark. As Mariona Caldentey shifted centrally to fill Maanum's role, Foord and Mead added two new problems for the Everton full-backs to deal with, and both played key roles in Arsenal's eventual 3-1 win, Foord putting Maren Mjelde under pressure as she scored an own goal before Mead played a lovely through-ball for Russo to net her second.
The Gunners have not always had the ability to replenish the attack quite like this throughout the season, but several factors have allowed Slegers to have game-changing depth on her bench as the business end of the campaign approaches. Kelly's January arrival is certainly a big one, and it is not only proving beneficial for Arsenal, but also Mead and, as an extension of it all, England, just four months before their European Championship defence begins.
