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Arsenal required a impressive performance and positive result against a European powerhouse, but the team relinquished their two-goal lead and all three points to Bayern Munich with little resistance, casting their European campaign into difficult waters.

Contrasting Fortunes from Previous Campaign

In the previous campaign, a inspiring fightback from 2-1 down to a narrow win over Bayern in their last group stage match made up for their opening 5-2 loss to the Bavarian side and kickstarted their phenomenal run to the championship match. It represented a pivotal moment in their season, showing a resilience that propelled them to a European triumph. Their collapse here showed they are still searching for the fighting spirit that led to victory in May.

Travelling Supporters in Munich

Over four hundred Arsenal fans had traveled to Munich, many gathering at the Hofbräuhaus before the game for their pre-match meet-up. They were shoved into a section of the upper level 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 Recent Form

Daphne van Domselaar had said her team had "given their all" in their hard-fought tie with Chelsea on Saturday. They were "deeply disappointed" by the result against the WSL champions, with questionable refereeing decisions receiving much criticism of those disappointments.

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

Strong Start for Visitors

They started aggressively. Beth Mead was especially lively and created difficulties for the Bayern defender Franziska Kett 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 England forward's shot strangely pushed away by the Bayern goalkeeper, Maria Luisa Grohs. The midfielder was there to head it back over the keeper and in.

Doubling the Advantage

Arsenal's next score arrived in the 23rd minute. Bayern's determination to play out from the back had been risky and was exploited. Mead cut out Stine Ballisager's stray pass and laid off to the Swedish striker, who poked it towards the Spanish midfielder on the edge of the box. The talented playmaker took a control to alleviate pressure from the defender before lashing past the goalkeeper.

Second Half Turnaround

The energy dropped a little in the second half. José Barcala 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, came on and Italian midfielder and Turkish talent arrived soon after. The last of these would cause problems first, flying away on the break and collecting from German winger before directing the ball past Van Domselaar.

Complete Turnaround

It was Bayern in the driving seat after the gap narrowed, the home team believing they could take something from the game. The substitute delivered, floating a cross in from the penalty box to equalize. They did not just want to take something, though: they wanted everything, and six minutes later they had the advantage, Icelandic defender turning in at the front post from Bühl's cross. This time it was a sluggish end that let down Arsenal and, with one win from three Champions League games, they have a big job ahead.