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The London side needed a impressive performance 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, plunging their Champions League defence into difficult waters.

Different Fortunes from Last Season

Last season, a battling comeback from a goal behind to a 3-2 victory over Bayern in their last group stage match made up for their heavy defeat to the German opponents and kickstarted their phenomenal run to the final. It represented a turning point in their season, demonstrating a resilience that propelled them to a second Champions League title. Their breakdown here showed they are yet to recapture the 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 Hofbräuhaus 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, competing with the impressive home crowd of over 15,000 that brought the noise in the lower tier.

Building on Previous Performance

The Arsenal goalkeeper had stated her team had "given their all" in their hard-fought tie with Chelsea on Saturday. They were "devastated" by the result against the WSL champions, with questionable refereeing decisions bearing the brunt of those disappointments.

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 repetition of that sluggish beginning.

Strong Start for Arsenal

They started aggressively. The England forward was particularly energetic and created difficulties for the Bayern full-back Franziska Kett and the central player Japanese international on the right as Arsenal's high and aggressive pressing proved effective.

It was the forward's attempt that gave Arsenal the advantage in the early stages, 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 goalkeeper and in.

Doubling the Advantage

Arsenal's next score arrived midway through the half. Bayern's insistence on building from defense had been dangerous and was capitalized on. Mead cut out the defender's wayward ball and laid off to Stina Blackstenius, who directed it towards the Spanish midfielder on the edge of the box. The talented playmaker took a touch to alleviate pressure from Tanikawa before lashing past Grohs.

After Break Turnaround

The energy lessened a little in the second half. 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 turned the match from 2-2 to 5-2, came on and Italian midfielder and Turkish talent followed shortly. The final substitute would make Arsenal sweat first, sprinting forward and collecting from German winger before guiding the ball past Van Domselaar.

Total Comeback

It was Bayern in the ascendancy after the gap narrowed, the hosts sensing they could get a result from the game. Harder delivered, floating a looping ball in from the edge of the area to level. They did not just want to take something, though: they wanted everything, and shortly after they had the lead, Icelandic defender turning in at the front post from the winger's delivery. This time it was a poor finish that disappointed Arsenal and, with one win from three Champions League games, they have a big job ahead.