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The London side required a impressive performance and favorable result against a European powerhouse, but Renée Slegers’s side relinquished their two-goal lead and the victory to Bayern Munich far too easily, plunging their European campaign into tricky waters.

Contrasting Outcomes from Last Season

In the previous campaign, a battling comeback from a goal behind to a narrow win over Bayern in their last group stage match avenged their opening 5-2 loss to the Bavarian side and ignited their remarkable journey to the championship match. It marked a turning point in their season, demonstrating a resilience that carried them to a European triumph. Their breakdown here showed they are still searching for the spirit that led to victory in May.

Travelling Supporters in Germany

Over four hundred Arsenal fans had made the trip to Munich, many gathering at the city's famous beer hall before the game for their pre-match meet-up. They were placed in a corner of the upper level at the Allianz Arena, but still made their voices heard, battling against the impressive home crowd of over 15,000 that made their presence felt in the lower tier.

Building on Previous Performance

Daphne van Domselaar had stated her team had "showed everything we had" in their 1-1 draw with Chelsea on Saturday. They were "deeply disappointed" by the outcome against the league leaders, with questionable refereeing decisions bearing the brunt of those frustrations.

The aim, though, was to channel the momentum of that strong performance after halftime to Germany with them. Arsenal had started slowly against Chelsea. In Munich they stuck to the plan and there was no repeat of that sluggish beginning.

Strong Start for Visitors

They opened on the front foot. Beth Mead was particularly energetic and created difficulties for the Bayern full-back their left-back and the midfielder Momoko Tanikawa on the right as Arsenal's high and aggressive pressing reaped its rewards.

It was the forward's attempt that ensured Arsenal took the lead in the early stages, the striker's effort strangely pushed away by the Bayern goalkeeper, Maria Luisa Grohs. Fox was there to nod the ball back over the goalkeeper and in.

Doubling the Lead

Arsenal's next score arrived midway through the half. Bayern's determination to play out from the back had been risky and was capitalized on. Mead intercepted Stine Ballisager's stray pass and laid off to Stina Blackstenius, who directed it towards Mariona Caldentey on the edge of the box. The mercurial midfielder took a touch to create space from the defender before lashing past the goalkeeper.

Second Half Collapse

The intensity dropped a little in the final period. José Barcala made substitutions to try to bring his side into the game: the ex-London striker Danish international, whose three goals in October 2024 turned the match from 2-2 to 5-2, came on and Italian midfielder and Alara Sehitler arrived soon after. The final substitute would cause problems first, sprinting forward and receiving from German winger before guiding the ball past Van Domselaar.

Total Comeback

It was Bayern in the ascendancy after the deficit was reduced, the home team believing they could take something from the game. The substitute produced, floating a looping ball in from the edge of the area to equalize. They did not just want to take something, though: they wanted everything, and six minutes later they had the lead, Icelandic defender scoring at the front post from the winger's delivery. This time it was a sluggish end that let down Arsenal and, with one win from three Champions League games, they have a big job ahead.