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The London side needed a strong performance and favorable outcome against a European powerhouse, but the team surrendered their two-goal lead and the victory to Bayern Munich far too easily, casting their Champions League defence into difficult waters.

Contrasting Outcomes from Last Season

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 ignited their remarkable journey to the final. It marked a turning point in their season, demonstrating a resilience that propelled them to a second Champions League title. Their collapse here showed they are still searching for the fighting spirit that led to victory in May.

Fan Support in Germany

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 section of the middle tier 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 stands below.

Building on 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 result against the WSL champions, with questionable refereeing decisions receiving much criticism of those frustrations.

The goal, though, was to channel the momentum of that impressive second-half display to Germany with them. Arsenal had begun poorly against Chelsea. In Munich they stuck to the plan and there was no repetition of that slow start.

Strong Start for Arsenal

They started aggressively. Beth Mead was especially lively and created difficulties for the Bayern defender Franziska Kett and the midfielder 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. Fox was there to nod the ball back over the goalkeeper and in.

Extending the Advantage

Arsenal's next score arrived midway through the half. Bayern's determination to play out from the back had been dangerous and was exploited. Mead intercepted the defender's wayward ball and laid off to the Swedish striker, who poked it towards the Spanish midfielder on the penalty area. The talented playmaker took a touch to alleviate pressure from Tanikawa before driving past Grohs.

Second Half Collapse

The energy lessened a little in the final period. The Bayern coach made substitutions to try to get his team back into the game: the ex-London striker Danish international, whose hat-trick in October 2024 turned the match from 2-2 to 5-2, came on and Italian midfielder and Alara Sehitler arrived soon after. The last of these would make Arsenal sweat first, flying away on the break and receiving from German winger before guiding the ball past Van Domselaar.

Complete Turnaround

It was Bayern in the ascendancy after the deficit was reduced, the home team believing they could take something from the game. The substitute delivered, clipping a cross in from the edge of the area to equalize. They did not just want to take something, though: they wanted it all, and six minutes later they had the lead, Glodis Viggosdottir scoring at the front post from Bühl's cross. This time it was a sluggish end that disappointed Arsenal and, with one win from three Champions League games, they have a big job ahead.