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Arsenal required a strong display and positive outcome against a continental giant, but Renée Slegers’s side surrendered 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

In the previous campaign, a inspiring fightback from a goal behind to a narrow win over Bayern in their last group stage match avenged their heavy defeat to the Bavarian side and kickstarted their remarkable journey to the championship match. It marked a turning point in their season, showing a resilience that propelled them to a second Champions League title. Their collapse here showed they are yet to recapture the fighting spirit that led to victory in May.

Fan Support in Germany

More than 400 Arsenal fans had made the trip to Munich, many filing into the Hofbräuhaus before the game for their pre-match meet-up. They were placed in a corner 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 lower tier.

Learning from Previous Performance

The Arsenal goalkeeper had stated her team had "given their all" in their 1-1 draw with Chelsea on Saturday. They were "devastated" by the result against the league leaders, with controversial officiating receiving much criticism of those disappointments.

The goal, though, was to take the energy of that strong performance after halftime to Germany with them. Arsenal had started slowly against Chelsea. In Munich they executed their strategy and there was no repeat of that slow start.

Fast Beginning for Arsenal

They opened on the front foot. Beth Mead was especially lively and caused problems for the Bayern defender their left-back and the midfielder Japanese international on the right as Arsenal's intense pressure reaped its rewards.

It was the forward's attempt that ensured Arsenal took the lead in the early stages, 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 second goal arrived midway through the half. Bayern's determination to play out from the back had been risky and was capitalized on. The winger cut out Stine Ballisager's stray pass and passed to Stina Blackstenius, who directed it towards the Spanish midfielder on the penalty area. The mercurial midfielder took a control to create space from Tanikawa before lashing past the goalkeeper.

After Break Collapse

The intensity lessened a little in the second half. José Barcala made substitutions to try to get his team back into the game: the former Chelsea forward Pernille Harder, whose three goals in October 2024 took the game from 2-2 to 5-2, entered and Italian midfielder and Alara Sehitler followed shortly. The last of these would make Arsenal sweat first, sprinting forward and receiving from Klara Bühl before directing the ball past Van Domselaar.

Complete Comeback

It was Bayern in the driving seat after the gap narrowed, the hosts believing they could get a result from the game. The substitute delivered, clipping a looping ball in from the edge of the area to level. They did not just want to draw, though: they wanted it all, and six minutes later they had the lead, Icelandic defender turning in at the front post from Bühl's cross. This time it was a poor finish that disappointed Arsenal and, with a single victory from their European matches, they have a big job ahead.