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Arsenal required a strong performance and favorable result against a European powerhouse, but the team surrendered their 2-0 advantage and all three points to Bayern Munich far too easily, casting their Champions League defence into difficult waters.

Contrasting Fortunes from Last Season

Last season, a inspiring fightback from 2-1 down to a 3-2 victory over Bayern in their last group stage match made up for their opening 5-2 loss to the German opponents and ignited 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 collapse here showed they are still searching for the spirit that led to victory in May.

Fan Support in Munich

More than 400 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 shoved into 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 lower tier.

Learning from Previous Performance

Daphne van Domselaar had stated her team had "showed everything we had" in their hard-fought tie with Chelsea on Saturday. They were "devastated" by the outcome against the WSL champions, with questionable refereeing decisions bearing the brunt of those frustrations.

The aim, though, was to channel the momentum 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 repeat of that slow start.

Fast Beginning for Arsenal

They opened on the front foot. Beth Mead was particularly energetic and caused problems for the Bayern defender their left-back and the midfielder 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 early stages, the England forward's shot strangely pushed away by the Bayern goalkeeper, Maria Luisa Grohs. The midfielder was there to nod the ball back over the goalkeeper and in.

Doubling the Lead

Arsenal's next score arrived midway through the half. Bayern's insistence on building from defense had been risky and was exploited. The winger cut out the defender's wayward ball and passed to the Swedish striker, who poked it towards the Spanish midfielder on the edge of the box. The mercurial midfielder took a touch to create space from the defender before lashing past the goalkeeper.

Second Half Turnaround

The intensity lessened 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 took the game from 2-2 to 5-2, came on and Arianna Caruso and Alara Sehitler followed shortly. The last of these would make Arsenal sweat first, flying away on the break and receiving from German winger before guiding the ball past Van Domselaar.

Total Comeback

It was Bayern in the ascendancy after the gap narrowed, the home team sensing they could get a result from the game. Harder produced, clipping a looping ball in from the edge of the area to level. They did not just want to take something, though: they wanted everything, and six minutes later they had the lead, Glodis Viggosdottir scoring at the front post from the winger's delivery. This time it was a sluggish end that let down Arsenal and, with a single victory from three Champions League games, they have a major challenge ahead.