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The London side required a strong display and positive outcome against a European powerhouse, but Renée Slegers’s side surrendered their 2-0 advantage and all three points to Bayern Munich far too easily, plunging their Champions League defence into difficult waters.

Different Fortunes from Previous Campaign

In the previous campaign, a inspiring fightback from a goal behind to a narrow win over Bayern in their last group stage match made up for their opening 5-2 loss to the Bavarian side and kickstarted their remarkable journey to the championship match. It marked a turning point in their season, showing a mental toughness that propelled them to a second Champions League title. Their collapse here showed they are still searching for the fighting spirit that led to victory in May.

Fan Support in Munich

More than 400 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 shoved into a section of the upper level at the Allianz Arena, but still made their voices heard, competing with the impressive home crowd of over 15,000 that brought the noise in the lower tier.

Building on Previous Performance

Daphne van Domselaar had stated her team had "showed everything we had" in their hard-fought tie with Chelsea on Saturday. They were "deeply disappointed" by the outcome against the WSL champions, with controversial officiating bearing the brunt of those disappointments.

The aim, though, was to take the energy 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 repetition of that slow start.

Strong Start for Visitors

They opened on the front foot. Beth Mead was especially lively and caused problems 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 fifth minute, the England forward's shot strangely pushed away by the Bayern goalkeeper, the German shot-stopper. The midfielder was there to head it back over the keeper and in.

Extending the Lead

Arsenal's second goal arrived midway through the half. Bayern's determination to play out from the back had been dangerous and was exploited. Mead intercepted the defender's wayward ball and laid off to Stina Blackstenius, who directed it towards the Spanish midfielder on the penalty area. The talented playmaker took a touch to create space from the defender before driving past Grohs.

After Break Turnaround

The energy lessened a little in the final period. José Barcala made substitutions to try to bring his side into the game: the ex-London striker Pernille Harder, whose three goals in October 2024 took the game from 2-2 to 5-2, came on and Italian midfielder and Turkish talent arrived soon after. The last of these would cause problems first, flying away on the break and collecting from Klara Bühl before guiding the ball past Van Domselaar.

Complete Comeback

It was Bayern in the ascendancy after the gap narrowed, the hosts sensing they could get a result from the game. The substitute produced, clipping a looping ball in from the penalty box to level. They did not just want to take something, though: they wanted everything, and shortly after they had the advantage, Glodis Viggosdottir turning in at the near post from Bühl's cross. This time it was a poor finish that let down Arsenal and, with a single victory from their European matches, they have a major challenge ahead.