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The London side required a impressive display and favorable result against a continental giant, 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 Last Season

Last season, a inspiring fightback from 2-1 down to a narrow win over Bayern in their final group game made up for their heavy defeat to the German opponents and ignited their remarkable journey to the championship match. It marked a pivotal moment in their season, demonstrating a mental toughness that propelled them to a European triumph. Their breakdown here demonstrated they are still searching for the fighting spirit that ensured success in May.

Travelling Supporters in Munich

Over four hundred Arsenal fans had made the trip to Munich, many filing into the city's famous beer hall before the game for their pre-match meet-up. They were placed in a section of the upper level at the Allianz Arena, but still made their voices heard, battling against the vocal local supporters of over 15,000 that made their presence felt in the lower tier.

Building on Recent Form

The Arsenal goalkeeper had stated her team had "given their all" in their 1-1 draw with Chelsea on Saturday. They were "deeply disappointed" by the result against the league leaders, with questionable refereeing decisions receiving much criticism of those frustrations.

The goal, though, was to take the energy of that impressive second-half display to Germany with them. Arsenal had begun poorly against Chelsea. In Munich they executed their strategy and there was no repeat of that slow start.

Strong Start for Visitors

They started aggressively. The England forward was particularly energetic and created difficulties 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 Mead's effort that gave Arsenal the advantage in the early stages, the striker's effort strangely pushed away by the Bayern goalkeeper, the German shot-stopper. Fox was there to nod the ball back over the keeper and in.

Doubling the Lead

Arsenal's second goal arrived in the 23rd minute. Bayern's insistence on building from defense had been risky 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 Turnaround

The energy dropped a little in the second half. The Bayern coach made substitutions 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 arrived soon after. The final substitute would make Arsenal sweat first, sprinting forward and collecting from German winger before guiding the ball past the Arsenal keeper.

Total Turnaround

It was Bayern in the driving seat after the deficit was reduced, the hosts believing they could get a result 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 it all, and shortly after they had the advantage, Icelandic defender 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 their European matches, they have a major challenge ahead.