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Arsenal required a impressive display and positive outcome against a European powerhouse, but the team surrendered their two-goal lead and all three points to Bayern Munich with little resistance, plunging their Champions League defence into tricky waters.

Different Fortunes from Last Season

In the previous campaign, a battling comeback from 2-1 down to a 3-2 victory 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 represented a pivotal moment in their season, showing a mental toughness that carried them to a second Champions League title. Their breakdown here showed they are still searching for the spirit that ensured success in May.

Fan Support in Munich

Over four hundred Arsenal fans had traveled 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 section of the middle tier at the Allianz Arena, but still made their voices heard, competing with the vocal local supporters of over 15,000 that brought the noise in the lower tier.

Learning from Previous Performance

Daphne van Domselaar had said her team had "given their all" in their hard-fought tie with Chelsea on Saturday. They were "devastated" by the result against the league leaders, with questionable refereeing decisions receiving much criticism 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 repetition of that slow start.

Strong Start for Arsenal

They opened on the front foot. Beth Mead was especially lively and created difficulties for the Bayern defender their left-back and the central player Momoko Tanikawa on the right as Arsenal's intense pressure proved effective.

It was Mead's effort that ensured Arsenal took the lead in the fifth minute, the striker's effort strangely pushed away by the Bayern goalkeeper, the German shot-stopper. Fox was there to nod the ball back over the goalkeeper and in.

Doubling the Lead

Arsenal's second goal arrived midway through the half. Bayern's insistence on building from defense had been dangerous and was exploited. The winger intercepted the defender's wayward ball and passed to the Swedish striker, who directed it towards the Spanish midfielder on the penalty area. The mercurial midfielder took a touch to create space from Tanikawa before driving past the goalkeeper.

After Break Turnaround

The intensity lessened a little in the final period. José Barcala made substitutions to try to get his team back 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 Alara Sehitler followed shortly. The last of these would make Arsenal sweat first, flying away on the break and receiving from Klara Bühl before guiding the ball past Van Domselaar.

Complete Comeback

It was Bayern in the ascendancy after the gap narrowed, the home team sensing they could take something from the game. Harder delivered, floating a cross 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 advantage, Glodis Viggosdottir turning in 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 big job ahead.