Beth Mead looks likely to make her long-awaited return to Arsenal’s matchday squad when the Gunners host Aston Villa at the Emirates on Sunday, boss Jonas Eidevall confirmed.

The England forward, who won the Golden Boot in the Lionesses’ Euro 2022 triumph, has not played for club or country since rupturing her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) late last November.

Mead faces one final training session before her fitness for Arsenal’s third meeting of the new Women’s Super League season is confirmed, but the 28-year-old’s manager was feeling optimistic after seeing her put through her paces on Friday morning.

Eidevall said: “In order to, for squad selection, we have one more training to go. If she goes through that training she should be 100 per cent ready for squad selection.

“She has a lovely energy, she plays the game with both her right and left foot with really good attacking qualities too. We all know that Beth Mead is a quality football player, so of course we are really looking forward to having her back on the pitch again.”

Mead, whose injury ruled her out of this summer’s World Cup, was one of four of Eidevall’s players to sustain an ACL problem last season, drawing further attention to what many feel is a crisis facing women’s football, where the issue is alarmingly common.

Netherlands striker Vivianne Miedema joined the ‘ACL club’ a month after her team-mate and partner Mead but is also edging close to a comeback, said Eidevall, while Leah Williamson, who captained England to the European trophy, will not feature until after Christmas at the earliest.

Defender Laura Wienroither ruptured her ACL in May, while fellow defender Teyah Goldie became the fifth victim when she suffered the same issue in August.

Eidevall said: “Viv has returned to team training, which is really nice, so obviously the next thing from team training is to start playing in games, if that’s friendly games or internal games behind closed doors and so on.

“That’s the next step, and from there on obviously you’re not miles away from being able to be selected to be in the squad, so she’s definitely getting close.”

While the unfortunate quintuplet of team-mates have been able to support each other through the long recovery process, Eidevall and his staff do not believe in a one-size-fits-all approach.

He added: “Unfortunately we have a group of players that went through the same thing. I think, though, at the end of the day you need to deal with your things yourself, because even if it looks on paper that you have the same injury, it’s never exactly the same.

“There are always differences. There can be similarities and yes you can help, but at the end of the day everything is going to be unique to you as an individual. I try to be very mindful of treating people with similar injuries like a package.”

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola distanced himself from Mikel Arteta’s success at Arsenal, insisting he learned just as much from his fellow Spaniard as opposed to the other way around.

The narrative of Sunday’s skirmish between two sides tipped to be vying for the Premier League title at the end of the season centres on Guardiola the master going up against Arteta the protege.

Arteta was one of Guardiola’s assistants for three years before leaving for Arsenal in December 2019, making gradual strides to the point where they were City’s closest top-flight challengers last season.

Any notion Guardiola is indirectly responsible for Arsenal’s resurgence was rubbished by the former Barcelona manager, who believes he had a reciprocal arrangement with Arteta during their time at City.

Asked if he sees a lot of his characteristics in Arteta, Guardiola said with a smile: “Zero. He has a completely different father and mother and he has his own personality.

“All the success he has belongs absolutely to Mikel and his people at Arsenal, not me. People say ‘he was with Pep and learned a lot’. I learned a lot from him.

“People say always I have to teach my assistant coaches; I bring the assistant coaches here to teach me. I am here, the figure in front of the microphone but I learn like the players.

“People believe we teach the players but we learn off them to take the decisions many times. All of the good things about Mikel belong to him, his genetics his mum and dad are giving to him. Not me.”

En route to a historic treble last season, City collected a third successive league title as they finished five points ahead of Arsenal, who claimed a top-four spot for the first time since 2016.

Guardiola thinks Arteta can bring back the glory days at Arsenal, who signed England midfielder Declan Rice for a club record £100million, plus £5m in add-ons, in July after City dropped out of the race.

Guardiola said: “Everybody knows that we wanted him. In the end, Arsenal pushed more and wanted him more. Maybe Mikel was more convincing than me. We could afford it maybe less, that’s why.”

Arsenal, who are unbeaten after seven league games and lie just one point City in the table, also paid more than £60m for Kai Havertz and their spending power suggests they will be challengers for a while.

Guardiola added: “Normally when Manchester City spent this amount of money it’s crazy, when it’s the other ones how smart they are.

“I’m not denying that everyone can do whatever they want and never judge the other one. We have been judged all the time but it’s fine.

“When we were in the middle of the table it never happened (like) that, it was not a problem, we were not under scrutiny from the rest.

“At the moment Arsenal’s recruitment is really good. They have a young squad for many, many years.

“The perspective for many is the fact that they will be there many times and, of course, Declan Rice is an exceptional, exceptional holding midfielder with the national team. He is an exceptional player.”

Mikel Arteta has called for Arsenal to change their Premier League losing streak against Manchester City ahead of their clash at the Emirates on Sunday.

Arsenal are without a league win against the treble-winners since 2015 and a defeat on Sunday would extend their losing run to 13.

Arteta highlighted that his side have broken winless streaks against other sides and called for his players to do the same against City.

“When I came here I think it was 18 years at Old Trafford, 17 years at Stamford Bridge and we have since done it, so lets change it,” Arteta said.

“My only worry is the quality of the opponent and that’s unquestionable and on Sunday we have to be at our best for 100 minutes. That’s what we can control and we need to focus.

“In these big games you need big players with talent who make it count. Duels are a big thing in a game which can go one way or another.”

Arteta lauded “top player” Declan Rice who he believes has adapted quickly to life in north London after his summer switch from West Ham.

Rice moved for a reported £105m in July and has featured in all seven league matches for the Gunners, scoring their second in a 3-1 win over Manchester United in September.

And Arteta highlighted the midfielder’s attributes which has allowed him to adjust to his new surroundings.

“With Declan, I am extremely pleased. He has the qualities, the presence, the understanding to be a top player for us in his position,” Arteta added.

“When you pay that sum of money you hope that they adapt really quickly but I think overall he’s adapted really nicely.

“The league, the opponents, the demands we have here, the player he is for the national team, his previous club as well are all really relevant (reasons he has settled in quickly).”

Erling Haaland failed to score when Arsenal beat City in the Community Shield  in August and Arteta believes his defenders have the physicality to nullify the Norwegian’s strengths.

He said: “That game was a while ago and it will be different, they will do different things as well but we are prepared to play to our strengths.

“I think we have enough physicality in the backline to deal with those players (Haaland) and we have to prove it with every action on Sunday.”

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is convinced Thomas Partey will remain at the Emirates, despite the arrival of England star Declan Rice.

The Ghanaian midfielder has been linked with a move to Al-Ahli in Saudi Arabia, but Arteta said he remains a key part of his plans.

Speaking ahead of Saturday’s pre-season clash with Manchester United in New Jersey, Arteta said: “Without a question of a doubt, Thomas Partey is a super important player for us and for me. I want him to be in the team.

“Every time I spoke to him and every time I have a conversation with him, his will is to stay with us. For me, there’s nothing there at all.”

He said the arrival of Rice does not mean any lessening of Partey’s role.

“They can play together and that was in my plans,” he said. “You want to improve the squad and have more quality.

“We need players who can play together but we need players in the same position who can fight for their places.

“It’s something we haven’t had over the last few years and we wanted to improve that and that’s why we bought Declan.”

Arsenal finished second behind Manchester City in the Premier League last season, having topped the table for much of the campaign – an experience Arteta believes will help his players as they look to make the next step.

“I think what happened last year probably was necessary to learn the lessons you have to learn get better and be more successful and achieve what we want to achieve,” he said. “It’s part of that road and that journey.

“The level is going to go up. Teams are getting better and the league is getting stronger, it is only going to get harder.

“We have to be better. We have to play better and we have to do things better than we did last year. That’s what we are working on at the moment.”

Olexsandr Zinchenko, who made a huge impression in his first season after switching from Manchester City, is convinced they can make that step.

He said: “I said a lot of times in the past, I have the feeling and, the smell I would say, that Arsenal’s time is coming.

“Unfortunately last season we didn’t achieve what we wanted but it was a lot of good lessons for us during the season and, for sure, it will help us during the next one. I’m full of confidence so let’s see what’s going to happen.”

The Ukrainian international has had to deal with plenty off the pitch after the Russian invasion of his country and urged people to keep on supporting their fight.

He said: “I know some people have got fatigue from this war but we cannot give up.

“All of us we need to fight for our freedom, our independence.

“Today it is Ukraine, tomorrow it could be your country. That’s why we need to stick together and fight until the end.