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The London side required a strong display and favorable result against a continental giant, but Renée Slegers’s side relinquished their two-goal lead and all three points to Bayern Munich with little resistance, casting their European campaign into tricky waters.

Contrasting Fortunes from Previous Campaign

Last season, a battling comeback from 2-1 down to a narrow win 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 championship match. It marked a turning point in their season, showing a mental toughness that carried them to a second Champions League title. Their collapse here showed they are still searching for the spirit that led to victory in May.

Travelling Supporters 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 made their voices heard, competing with the impressive home crowd of over 15,000 that brought the noise in the stands below.

Learning from Previous Performance

Daphne van Domselaar had said her team had "given their all" in their 1-1 draw with Chelsea on Saturday. They were "deeply disappointed" by the result against the league leaders, with controversial officiating 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 repetition of that slow start.

Fast Beginning for Visitors

They opened on the front foot. The England forward was especially lively and created difficulties for the Bayern full-back Franziska Kett and the central player Momoko Tanikawa 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 fifth minute, the striker's effort unusually parried by the Bayern goalkeeper, Maria Luisa Grohs. The midfielder was there to head it back over the keeper and in.

Doubling the Advantage

Arsenal's second goal arrived in the 23rd minute. Bayern's determination to play out from the back had been dangerous and was exploited. Mead cut out the defender's wayward ball and passed to Stina Blackstenius, who poked it towards the Spanish midfielder on the edge of the box. The talented playmaker took a touch to alleviate pressure from the defender before driving past the goalkeeper.

After Break Collapse

The energy lessened a little in the second half. José Barcala turned to his bench 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, entered and Italian midfielder and Turkish talent arrived soon after. The last of these would cause problems first, sprinting forward and receiving from German winger before directing the ball past Van Domselaar.

Complete Turnaround

It was Bayern in the ascendancy after the deficit was reduced, the home team believing they could get a result from the game. The substitute 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 it all, and six minutes later they had the lead, Icelandic defender scoring at the near post from Bühl's cross. This time it was a sluggish end that disappointed Arsenal and, with one win from their European matches, they have a major challenge ahead.