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The London side needed a impressive display and favorable result against a continental giant, but Renée Slegers’s side relinquished their 2-0 advantage and the victory to Bayern Munich far too easily, plunging their European campaign into tricky waters.

Contrasting Outcomes from Previous Campaign

Last season, a battling comeback from 2-1 down to a 3-2 victory over Bayern in their last group stage match avenged their opening 5-2 loss to the German opponents and kickstarted their remarkable journey to the final. It represented a turning point in their season, demonstrating a resilience that propelled them to a European triumph. Their breakdown here showed they are yet to recapture the fighting spirit that led to victory in May.

Fan Support in Munich

Over four hundred Arsenal fans had made the trip to Munich, many filing into the Hofbräuhaus before the game for their pre-match meet-up. They were shoved into a corner of the middle tier at the Allianz Arena, but still made their voices heard, battling against the impressive home crowd of over 15,000 that made their presence felt 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 "deeply disappointed" by the outcome against the WSL champions, with questionable refereeing decisions receiving much criticism of those disappointments.

The aim, 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 executed their strategy and there was no repeat of that sluggish beginning.

Fast Beginning for Arsenal

They started aggressively. The England forward 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 ensured Arsenal took the lead in the fifth minute, the England forward's shot unusually parried by the Bayern goalkeeper, Maria Luisa Grohs. Fox was there to head it back over the goalkeeper and in.

Extending the Lead

Arsenal's next score arrived midway through the half. Bayern's insistence on building from defense had been risky and was capitalized on. The winger intercepted 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 mercurial midfielder took a touch to alleviate pressure from the defender before driving past Grohs.

After Break Collapse

The energy dropped 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 hat-trick in October 2024 turned the match from 2-2 to 5-2, came on and Arianna Caruso and Alara Sehitler followed shortly. The final substitute would cause problems first, flying away on the break and receiving from German winger before directing the ball past the Arsenal keeper.

Complete Turnaround

It was Bayern in the driving seat after the gap narrowed, the home team sensing they could get a result from the game. Harder produced, clipping a cross in from the edge of the area to equalize. They did not just want to draw, though: they wanted it all, and shortly after they had the lead, Icelandic defender scoring at the near post from the winger's delivery. This time it was a sluggish end that let down Arsenal and, with one win from their European matches, they have a major challenge ahead.