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Arsenal 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, casting their European campaign into tricky waters.

Contrasting Outcomes from Last Season

In the previous campaign, a battling comeback from a goal behind 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 championship match. It represented a turning point in their season, demonstrating a mental toughness that carried them to a European triumph. Their collapse here showed they are still searching for the fighting spirit that ensured success in May.

Travelling Supporters in Germany

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

Building on Previous Performance

Daphne van Domselaar had stated 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 league leaders, with controversial officiating bearing the brunt of those disappointments.

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 executed their strategy and there was no repetition of that sluggish beginning.

Strong Start for Visitors

They started aggressively. The England forward was especially lively and created difficulties for the Bayern full-back Franziska Kett and the central player Momoko Tanikawa on the right as Arsenal's high and aggressive pressing proved effective.

It was the forward's attempt that gave Arsenal the advantage in the fifth minute, the striker's effort strangely pushed away by the Bayern goalkeeper, Maria Luisa Grohs. Fox was there to nod the ball back over the goalkeeper and in.

Extending the Advantage

Arsenal's next score arrived midway through the half. Bayern's insistence on building from defense had been risky and was capitalized on. Mead cut out the defender's wayward ball and passed to Stina Blackstenius, who poked it towards the Spanish midfielder on the edge of the box. The mercurial midfielder took a control to alleviate pressure from Tanikawa before driving past the goalkeeper.

After Break Turnaround

The energy 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 former Chelsea forward Pernille Harder, whose hat-trick in October 2024 turned the match from 2-2 to 5-2, entered and Italian midfielder and Turkish talent followed shortly. The final substitute would cause problems first, sprinting forward and collecting from Klara Bühl before directing the ball past the Arsenal keeper.

Complete Turnaround

It was Bayern in the ascendancy after the gap narrowed, the home team sensing they could take something from the game. The substitute delivered, clipping a cross in from the penalty box to level. They did not just want to draw, though: they wanted everything, and six minutes later they had the advantage, Glodis Viggosdottir turning in at the front post from Bühl's cross. This time it was a poor finish that disappointed Arsenal and, with one win from their European matches, they have a major challenge ahead.