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The London side needed a impressive display and favorable result against a continental giant, but the team surrendered their two-goal lead and all three points to Bayern Munich with little resistance, casting their Champions League defence into tricky waters.

Different Fortunes from Previous Campaign

In the previous campaign, a battling comeback from 2-1 down to a 3-2 victory over Bayern in their last group stage match made up for their heavy defeat to the German opponents and kickstarted their remarkable journey to the final. It represented a pivotal moment in their season, demonstrating a mental toughness that carried them to a second Champions League title. Their breakdown here demonstrated they are yet to recapture the spirit that led to victory in May.

Fan Support in Munich

More than 400 Arsenal fans had traveled to Munich, many filing into the Hofbräuhaus before the game for their pre-match meet-up. They were shoved into a corner of the upper level at the Allianz Arena, but still created an atmosphere, battling against the impressive home crowd of over 15,000 that brought the noise in the lower tier.

Learning from Recent Form

The Arsenal goalkeeper had said her team had "given their all" in their hard-fought tie with Chelsea on Saturday. They were "deeply disappointed" by the outcome against the league leaders, with questionable refereeing decisions bearing the brunt of those frustrations.

The aim, though, was to take the energy of that impressive second-half display to Germany with them. Arsenal had started slowly against Chelsea. In Munich they executed their strategy 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 created difficulties for the Bayern defender Franziska Kett and the midfielder Japanese international on the right as Arsenal's intense pressure proved effective.

It was Mead's effort that gave Arsenal the advantage in the early stages, the striker's effort unusually parried by the Bayern goalkeeper, Maria Luisa Grohs. Fox 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 risky and was exploited. The winger intercepted the defender's wayward ball and passed to Stina Blackstenius, who poked it towards the Spanish midfielder on the penalty area. The talented playmaker took a control to alleviate pressure from the defender before driving past the goalkeeper.

After Break Collapse

The intensity dropped a little in the final period. 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 took the game from 2-2 to 5-2, entered and Italian midfielder and Alara Sehitler followed shortly. The last of these would make Arsenal sweat first, sprinting forward and collecting from German winger before directing the ball past Van Domselaar.

Total Turnaround

It was Bayern in the ascendancy after the deficit was reduced, the home team sensing they could take something from the game. The substitute produced, floating a looping ball 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 lead, Icelandic defender turning in at the front post from Bühl's cross. This time it was a poor finish that let down Arsenal and, with one win from their European matches, they have a big job ahead.