Sunderland have conceded 12 goals in two games against Arsenal this season, but striker Beth Mead insists that will count for nothing when the pair go head-to-head in tomorrow’s FA Women’s Super League 1 meeting.

A hat-trick from Danielle van de Donk helped Arsenal to a 7-0 win in April’s SSE Women’s FA Cup semi-final.

And the Gunners triumphed 5-1 in June’s league meeting, Natalia Pablos Sanchon proving their chief tormentor that day.

But Mead believes there is enough character in the Sunderland dressing room to ensure heads will be as high as ever when they kick-off at the Hetton Centre.

“It’s possible the games against them this season could have an effect, but I would like to think the girls at Sunderland are experienced enough to know we can’t let past defeats affect our performances,” said the 21-year-old.

“Arsenal are always a tough opponent, whether it’s home or away.

“They pop the ball about well, so this is where we need to be more disciplined than perhaps we have been in the past and wait for our opportunities in the game, because they will come.

“We have got to start winning games and then we will see what happens, but we know we want to stay as far away from relegation as possible.

“We want to finish as high as we can. We set high standards last year.”

Arsenal closed the gap on league leaders Manchester City to three points last weekend, when they came from behind to beat title rivals Chelsea 2-1.

After a relatively slow start to the season they have taken ten points from their last four matches, boosting their hopes of securing a first WSL title since 2012.

And Danielle Carter has called on her team-mates to extend their purple patch.

“We cannot afford to slip up in any of our games,” said Carter, who has scored five goals in nine matches.

“We have played Sunderland before this season, so we know their threats and what they are going to bring to us.

“We cannot under-estimate them and need to perform like we did previously.

“They like to play the ball in behind and play counter attacking, we need to concentrate and be aware of that.

“We’ve beaten them on both occasions this season, but it’s a different game now and we’ll treat it like any other game.

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