🔗 Share this article

The London side required a strong display and positive result against a continental giant, but Renée Slegers’s side relinquished their two-goal lead and the victory to Bayern Munich far too easily, plunging their Champions League defence into difficult waters.

Contrasting Fortunes 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 made up for their opening 5-2 loss to the Bavarian side and kickstarted their remarkable journey to the final. It marked a turning point in their season, demonstrating a mental toughness that propelled them to a European triumph. Their breakdown here showed they are yet to recapture the spirit that ensured success in May.

Fan Support in Germany

Over four hundred Arsenal fans had traveled to Munich, many gathering at 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 created an atmosphere, competing with the vocal local supporters of over 15,000 that made their presence felt in the stands below.

Learning from Recent Form

The Arsenal goalkeeper had said her team had "showed everything we had" in their 1-1 draw with Chelsea on Saturday. They were "deeply disappointed" by the outcome against the WSL champions, with controversial officiating receiving much criticism of those disappointments.

The aim, though, was to channel the momentum 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 sluggish beginning.

Strong Start for Visitors

They started aggressively. Beth Mead was especially lively and created difficulties for the Bayern full-back their left-back and the midfielder Japanese international on the right as Arsenal's intense pressure proved effective.

It was the forward's attempt that gave Arsenal the advantage 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 goalkeeper and in.

Doubling the Advantage

Arsenal's second goal arrived midway through the half. Bayern's insistence on building from defense had been risky and was capitalized on. Mead intercepted Stine Ballisager's stray pass and passed to the Swedish striker, who poked it towards the Spanish midfielder on the edge of the box. The talented playmaker took a touch to alleviate pressure from Tanikawa before driving past Grohs.

After Break Turnaround

The intensity dropped a little in the second half. The Bayern coach turned to his bench to try to get his team back into the game: the ex-London striker Pernille Harder, whose hat-trick in October 2024 took the game from 2-2 to 5-2, entered and Arianna Caruso and Alara Sehitler followed shortly. The final substitute would make Arsenal sweat first, flying away on the break and collecting from German winger before guiding the ball past Van Domselaar.

Complete Turnaround

It was Bayern in the ascendancy after the gap narrowed, the hosts sensing they could get a result from the game. Harder delivered, floating a looping ball in from the edge of the area to level. They did not just want to take something, though: they wanted it all, and six minutes later they had the advantage, Glodis Viggosdottir turning in at the near 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.