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The London side required a strong performance and favorable result against a European powerhouse, but the team relinquished their 2-0 advantage and the victory to Bayern Munich with little resistance, casting their Champions League defence into tricky waters.

Different Fortunes from Last Season

In the previous campaign, a battling comeback 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 Bavarian side and kickstarted their remarkable journey to the championship match. It marked 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 spirit that ensured success in May.

Fan Support in Munich

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 shoved into a corner of the middle tier 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 lower tier.

Learning from Previous Performance

Daphne van Domselaar had stated her team had "given their all" in their hard-fought tie with Chelsea on Saturday. They were "deeply disappointed" by the outcome against the WSL champions, with controversial officiating bearing the brunt of those disappointments.

The aim, though, was to channel the momentum 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 sluggish beginning.

Strong Start for Arsenal

They opened on the front foot. Beth Mead was especially lively and created difficulties for the Bayern defender their left-back and the central player Momoko Tanikawa on the right as Arsenal's high and aggressive pressing reaped its rewards.

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. The midfielder was there to nod the ball back over the keeper and in.

Doubling the Lead

Arsenal's second goal arrived in the 23rd minute. Bayern's determination to play out from the back had been risky and was exploited. Mead intercepted the defender's wayward ball and laid off to Stina Blackstenius, who poked it towards Mariona Caldentey on the penalty area. The mercurial midfielder took a control to alleviate pressure from Tanikawa before driving past the goalkeeper.

After Break Collapse

The intensity lessened a little in the second half. The Bayern coach turned to his bench to try to get his team back into the game: the ex-London striker Danish international, whose hat-trick 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 cause problems first, flying away on the break and receiving from German winger before directing the ball past Van Domselaar.

Total Comeback

It was Bayern in the ascendancy after the deficit was reduced, the home team believing they could take something from the game. The substitute produced, clipping a cross in from the penalty box to level. They did not just want to take something, though: they wanted it all, and six minutes later they had the lead, Icelandic defender scoring at the near post from Bühl's cross. This time it was a sluggish end that disappointed Arsenal and, with one win from their European matches, they have a major challenge ahead.