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Arsenal required a strong performance and favorable outcome against a European powerhouse, but the team relinquished their 2-0 advantage and the victory to Bayern Munich far too easily, casting their European campaign into tricky waters.

Contrasting Fortunes from Previous Campaign

In the previous campaign, a battling comeback from 2-1 down to a narrow win over Bayern in their final group game avenged their opening 5-2 loss to the German opponents and ignited their remarkable journey to the final. It marked a pivotal moment in their season, showing a resilience that carried them to a European triumph. Their breakdown here showed they are yet to recapture the fighting spirit that led to victory in May.

Travelling Supporters in Munich

More than 400 Arsenal fans had made the trip to Munich, many gathering at 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 made their presence felt in the lower tier.

Learning from Previous Performance

Daphne van Domselaar had said her team had "showed everything we had" in their hard-fought tie with Chelsea on Saturday. They were "devastated" by the outcome against the WSL champions, with questionable refereeing decisions receiving much criticism of those frustrations.

The goal, 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 repeat of that slow start.

Fast Beginning for Arsenal

They started aggressively. 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 proved effective.

It was Mead's effort that ensured Arsenal took the lead 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 keeper and in.

Extending 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 directed it towards the Spanish midfielder on the edge of the box. The mercurial midfielder took a touch to create space from Tanikawa before lashing past Grohs.

After Break Collapse

The intensity dropped a little in the second half. The Bayern coach made substitutions to try to get his team back into the game: the ex-London striker Pernille Harder, whose three goals in October 2024 turned the match from 2-2 to 5-2, came on and Arianna Caruso and Turkish talent followed shortly. The final substitute would make Arsenal sweat first, flying away on the break and collecting from Klara Bühl before guiding the ball past the Arsenal keeper.

Total Turnaround

It was Bayern in the ascendancy after the deficit was reduced, the home team sensing they could get a result from the game. Harder produced, floating a looping ball in from the penalty box to level. They did not just want to draw, though: they wanted everything, and six minutes later they had the lead, Glodis Viggosdottir scoring at the front post from the winger's delivery. This time it was a sluggish end that disappointed Arsenal and, with a single victory from three Champions League games, they have a major challenge ahead.