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Arsenal required a impressive display and favorable result against a continental giant, but Renée Slegers’s side relinquished their 2-0 advantage and all three points to Bayern Munich with little resistance, plunging their European campaign into difficult waters.

Different Fortunes from Previous Campaign

In the previous campaign, a battling comeback from a goal behind to a 3-2 victory over Bayern in their last group stage match made up for their opening 5-2 loss to the German opponents and kickstarted their phenomenal run to the final. It marked a pivotal moment in their season, demonstrating a resilience that carried them to a second Champions League title. Their breakdown here demonstrated they are yet to recapture the fighting spirit that ensured success 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 traditional gathering. They were placed in a section 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 brought the noise in the stands below.

Learning from Previous Performance

The Arsenal goalkeeper had stated her team had "showed everything we had" in their 1-1 draw with Chelsea on Saturday. They were "deeply disappointed" by the result against the WSL champions, with controversial officiating bearing the brunt of those disappointments.

The goal, though, was to channel the momentum 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.

Fast Beginning for Arsenal

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

It was Mead's effort that gave Arsenal the advantage in the fifth minute, the striker's effort unusually parried by the Bayern goalkeeper, Maria Luisa Grohs. Fox was there to head it back over the goalkeeper and in.

Extending the Advantage

Arsenal's second goal arrived midway through the half. Bayern's determination to play out from the back had been risky and was exploited. Mead intercepted the defender's wayward ball and passed to Stina Blackstenius, who poked it towards the Spanish midfielder on the penalty area. The talented playmaker took a control to alleviate pressure from the defender before driving past the goalkeeper.

After Break Collapse

The energy dropped a little in the second half. José Barcala turned to his bench to try to get his team back into the game: the former Chelsea forward Pernille Harder, whose three goals in October 2024 took the game from 2-2 to 5-2, entered and Italian midfielder and Alara Sehitler arrived soon after. The final substitute would cause problems first, sprinting forward and collecting from Klara Bühl before guiding the ball past Van Domselaar.

Complete Comeback

It was Bayern in the driving seat after the deficit was reduced, the home team sensing they could take something from the game. Harder delivered, clipping a cross in from the edge of the area to level. They did not just want to draw, though: they wanted it all, and six minutes later they had the advantage, Glodis Viggosdottir scoring at the front post from Bühl's cross. This time it was a sluggish end that disappointed Arsenal and, with a single victory from their European matches, they have a major challenge ahead.