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The London side required a strong display and favorable result against a European powerhouse, but Renée Slegers’s side surrendered their two-goal lead and all three points to Bayern Munich far too easily, casting their European campaign into tricky waters.

Contrasting Outcomes from Previous Campaign

Last season, a battling comeback from 2-1 down to a narrow win over Bayern in their last group stage match avenged their opening 5-2 loss to the German opponents and kickstarted their remarkable journey to the championship match. It marked a pivotal moment in their season, showing a resilience that propelled them to a second Champions League title. 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 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 vocal local supporters of over 15,000 that brought the noise in the lower tier.

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

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 repetition of that sluggish beginning.

Strong Start for Visitors

They opened on the front foot. Beth Mead was particularly energetic and caused problems for the Bayern defender their left-back and the central player Japanese international on the right as Arsenal's high and aggressive pressing reaped its rewards.

It was the forward's attempt that ensured Arsenal took the lead in the fifth minute, the England forward's shot strangely pushed away by the Bayern goalkeeper, the German shot-stopper. The midfielder was there to nod the ball back over the goalkeeper and in.

Extending the Advantage

Arsenal's next score arrived in the 23rd minute. Bayern's insistence on building from defense had been dangerous and was exploited. The winger intercepted the defender's wayward ball and passed to Stina Blackstenius, who poked it towards Mariona Caldentey on the penalty area. The mercurial midfielder took a touch to create space from Tanikawa before driving past the goalkeeper.

After Break Collapse

The intensity lessened a little in the final period. José Barcala turned to his bench to try to bring his side into the game: the former Chelsea forward Pernille Harder, whose hat-trick in October 2024 took the game from 2-2 to 5-2, came on and Arianna Caruso and Alara Sehitler arrived soon after. The last of these would cause problems first, sprinting forward and receiving from German winger before directing the ball past Van Domselaar.

Total Turnaround

It was Bayern in the driving seat after the deficit was reduced, the hosts sensing they could take something from the game. Harder delivered, clipping a cross in from the penalty box to level. They did not just want to draw, though: they wanted everything, and shortly after they had the advantage, Glodis Viggosdottir turning in at the near post from Bühl's cross. This time it was a poor finish that disappointed Arsenal and, with a single victory from three Champions League games, they have a big job ahead.