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Arsenal required a strong performance and favorable outcome against a continental giant, but Renée Slegers’s side relinquished their two-goal lead and the victory to Bayern Munich with little resistance, casting their Champions League defence into tricky waters.

Different Fortunes from Previous Campaign

Last season, a inspiring fightback from a goal behind to a 3-2 victory over Bayern in their last group stage match avenged their heavy defeat to the German opponents and kickstarted their remarkable journey to the championship match. It marked a turning point in their season, demonstrating a resilience that carried them to a second Champions League title. Their breakdown here demonstrated they are still searching for the spirit that ensured success 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, battling against the impressive home crowd of over 15,000 that brought the noise in the stands below.

Learning from Previous Performance

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 questionable refereeing decisions receiving much criticism of those disappointments.

The goal, though, was to channel the momentum of that impressive second-half display 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.

Fast Beginning for Visitors

They started aggressively. Beth Mead was especially lively 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 the forward's attempt that gave Arsenal the advantage in the early stages, the striker's effort unusually parried by the Bayern goalkeeper, Maria Luisa Grohs. The midfielder was there to nod the ball back over the goalkeeper and in.

Extending the Advantage

Arsenal's second goal arrived midway through the half. 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 the Swedish striker, who poked it towards Mariona Caldentey on the penalty area. The mercurial midfielder took a touch to alleviate pressure from Tanikawa before driving past Grohs.

After Break Collapse

The energy lessened a little in the final period. José Barcala made substitutions to try to bring his side into the game: the former Chelsea forward Danish international, whose three goals in October 2024 turned the match from 2-2 to 5-2, entered and Arianna Caruso and Alara Sehitler arrived soon after. The final substitute would make Arsenal sweat first, sprinting forward and receiving from Klara Bühl before directing the ball past the Arsenal keeper.

Total Turnaround

It was Bayern in the driving seat after the gap narrowed, the home team believing they could take something from the game. Harder produced, clipping a looping ball in from the penalty box to level. They did not just want to take something, though: they wanted everything, and six minutes later they had the advantage, Icelandic defender scoring at the near post from Bühl's cross. This time it was a sluggish end that disappointed Arsenal and, with a single victory from their European matches, they have a big job ahead.