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The London side required a impressive display and favorable result against a European powerhouse, but Renée Slegers’s side relinquished their 2-0 advantage and the victory to Bayern Munich far too easily, casting their European campaign into difficult waters.

Different Outcomes from Previous Campaign

In the previous campaign, 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 Bavarian side and kickstarted their remarkable journey to the championship match. It represented a turning point in their season, demonstrating a mental toughness that carried 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 traveled 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 made their voices heard, competing with the impressive home crowd of over 15,000 that made their presence felt in the stands below.

Building on Recent Form

The Arsenal goalkeeper had stated her team had "showed everything we had" in their 1-1 draw with Chelsea on Saturday. They were "devastated" by the outcome against the league leaders, 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 begun poorly against Chelsea. In Munich they stuck to the plan and there was no repetition of that sluggish beginning.

Fast Beginning for Visitors

They opened on the front foot. Beth Mead was particularly energetic and created difficulties for the Bayern full-back Franziska Kett and the midfielder Japanese international on the right as Arsenal's high and aggressive pressing reaped its rewards.

It was Mead's effort that gave Arsenal the advantage in the early stages, the striker's effort unusually parried by the Bayern goalkeeper, the German shot-stopper. Fox was there to head it back over the keeper and in.

Extending the Lead

Arsenal's next score arrived midway through the half. Bayern's determination to play out from the back had been risky 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 mercurial midfielder took a touch to alleviate pressure from Tanikawa before driving past Grohs.

After Break Turnaround

The intensity dropped a little in the final period. The Bayern coach turned to his bench to try to get his team back into the game: the ex-London striker Danish international, whose hat-trick in October 2024 took the game from 2-2 to 5-2, came on and Italian midfielder and Turkish talent followed shortly. The final substitute would make Arsenal sweat first, sprinting forward and collecting from Klara Bühl before directing the ball past Van Domselaar.

Total 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 produced, floating a cross in from the penalty box to equalize. They did not just want to take something, though: they wanted everything, and shortly after 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 a single victory from three Champions League games, they have a big job ahead.