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Arsenal needed a strong performance and positive outcome against a continental giant, but Renée Slegers’s side relinquished their two-goal lead and the victory to Bayern Munich far too easily, casting their Champions League defence into difficult waters.

Contrasting Fortunes from Previous Campaign

In the previous campaign, a inspiring fightback from a goal behind to a 3-2 victory over Bayern in their final group game made up for 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 carried them to a second Champions League title. Their breakdown here showed they are yet to recapture the fighting spirit that ensured success in May.

Fan Support in Germany

Over four hundred Arsenal fans had made the trip to Munich, many gathering at the city's famous beer hall before the game for their pre-match meet-up. They were placed in a corner 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 brought the noise in the stands below.

Learning from Previous Performance

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

The aim, 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 stuck to the plan and there was no repetition of that slow start.

Fast Beginning for Arsenal

They opened on the front foot. The England forward was especially lively and caused problems for the Bayern full-back their left-back and the central player Momoko Tanikawa on the right as Arsenal's high and aggressive pressing reaped its rewards.

It was Mead's effort that ensured Arsenal took the lead in the early stages, 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 keeper and in.

Extending the Lead

Arsenal's next score arrived midway through the half. Bayern's determination to play out from the back had been dangerous and was exploited. The winger intercepted Stine Ballisager's stray pass and laid off to the Swedish striker, who directed it towards the Spanish midfielder on the penalty area. The mercurial midfielder took a touch to alleviate pressure from Tanikawa before driving past Grohs.

After Break Collapse

The energy dropped a little in the final period. The Bayern coach turned to his bench to try to bring his side into the game: the former Chelsea forward Pernille Harder, whose three goals in October 2024 turned the match from 2-2 to 5-2, came on and Italian midfielder and Alara Sehitler followed shortly. The final substitute would cause problems first, flying away on the break and receiving from German winger before directing the ball past Van Domselaar.

Complete Comeback

It was Bayern in the ascendancy after the deficit was reduced, the home team believing they could take something from the game. Harder delivered, clipping a cross in from the penalty box to equalize. They did not just want to draw, though: they wanted everything, and shortly after they had the lead, Icelandic defender scoring at the front post from the winger's delivery. 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.