SUNDERLAND striker Beth Mead is relishing life in FA WSL 1 despite suffering a tough 4-1 defeat at Arsenal in their first ever top flight visit to the 13-time FA Cup winners.

Mead scored Sunderland’s only goal in what was an otherwise disappointing result for last season’s WSL 2 winners.

Goals from Carla Humphrey and Dan Carter as well as a double from Natalia sunk the visitors, but Mead insists she is still eager to prove herself in the top division.

“We won WSL2 last season and now we’ve got a new challenge and we’re enjoying the step up because we wanted to be the best players we can be and play in the best league,” she said.

“I’m enjoying the challenge and I’m playing football full time and nothing can beat that.

“I think we had a good first half, we competed against Arsenal but unfortunately we got a sending off in the second half and it put us a player down and that killed us off a bit.

“They were the better side, they were technically better than us today and we know that as a team and they’ve come out winners.”

Sunderland competed well with Arsenal in the first half and goals from Natalia and Mead meant the sides went in level.

However, a red card to Abby Holmes and a Natalia penalty changed the game with Humphrey and Carter completing the rout.

Natalia’s first was a stunning effort curled in from a tight angle that beat Rachael Laws at the far post.

The Spanish forward admitted she was impressed with Sunderland’s performance and expects big things from the WSL 1 newcomers.

“I think Sunderland are a good team, they’re going to be a strong team in the WSL 1 and they’re going to be a struggle for a number of teams to play against,” she said.

“My first goal is the type of finish I’ve been trying to do here in England for a while and something I managed to do a few times when I was in Spain.

“I’ve not been able to pull it off before over here but it came off today and I’m really pleased with the goal especially because it’s my first for Arsenal.

“We’re really pleased with the result I think we played some good football which is always pleasing and we deserved to win this game.”

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Sunderland Ladies (4-4-1-1): Laws, Holmes, Bannon, Sharp, Williams, Ramshaw (Kelly 15), McFadden (Greenwell 62), Furness (McDougall 45), Joice, Chaplin, Mead. Subs (not used): Wilson, Gutteridge, Bass, Harkness

Attendance: 815

Referee: Stuart Franklin