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The London side needed a strong display and positive outcome against a continental giant, but Renée Slegers’s side relinquished their 2-0 advantage and all three points to Bayern Munich far too easily, casting their European campaign into tricky waters.

Different Outcomes from Last Season

In the previous campaign, a inspiring fightback from 2-1 down to a 3-2 victory over Bayern in their last group stage match avenged their heavy defeat to the Bavarian side and kickstarted their remarkable journey to the championship match. It represented a turning point in their season, showing a resilience that propelled them to a second Champions League title. Their breakdown here showed they are yet to recapture the spirit that ensured success in May.

Fan Support in Munich

Over four hundred Arsenal fans had made the trip to Munich, many filing into 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 created an atmosphere, battling against the impressive home crowd of over 15,000 that brought the noise in the lower tier.

Building on Previous Performance

Daphne van Domselaar had said her team had "given their all" in their hard-fought tie with Chelsea on Saturday. They were "deeply disappointed" by the result against the WSL champions, with questionable refereeing decisions bearing the brunt of those frustrations.

The aim, though, was to take the energy of that impressive second-half display 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.

Fast Beginning for Arsenal

They opened on the front foot. The England forward was especially lively and caused problems for the Bayern full-back Franziska Kett and the midfielder Momoko Tanikawa on the right as Arsenal's intense pressure proved effective.

It was Mead's effort that gave Arsenal the advantage in the early stages, the striker's effort strangely pushed away by the Bayern goalkeeper, the German shot-stopper. Fox was there to head it back over the goalkeeper and in.

Extending the Lead

Arsenal's next score arrived in the 23rd minute. Bayern's insistence on building from defense had been risky and was capitalized on. The winger intercepted Stine Ballisager's stray pass and passed to the Swedish striker, who poked it towards the Spanish midfielder on the penalty area. The mercurial midfielder took a control to alleviate pressure from the defender before lashing past Grohs.

After Break Collapse

The intensity dropped a little in the final period. The Bayern coach turned to his bench to try to get his team back into the game: the former Chelsea forward Danish international, whose hat-trick in October 2024 took the game from 2-2 to 5-2, entered and Italian midfielder and Alara Sehitler arrived soon after. The last of these would make Arsenal sweat first, flying away on the break and receiving from Klara Bühl before directing the ball past Van Domselaar.

Total Comeback

It was Bayern in the driving seat after the deficit was reduced, the home team sensing 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 draw, though: they wanted everything, and six minutes later they had the lead, Icelandic defender turning in at the near post from Bühl's cross. This time it was a poor finish that disappointed Arsenal and, with one win from three Champions League games, they have a major challenge ahead.