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Arsenal required a strong performance and favorable result against a European powerhouse, but Renée Slegers’s side relinquished their 2-0 advantage and the victory to Bayern Munich with little resistance, casting their Champions League defence into difficult waters.

Different Outcomes from Last Season

In the previous campaign, a inspiring fightback from a goal behind to a 3-2 victory over Bayern in their final group game avenged their heavy defeat to the German opponents and kickstarted their phenomenal run to the championship match. It represented a turning point in their season, showing a mental toughness that carried them to a second Champions League title. Their breakdown here showed they are yet to recapture the fighting spirit that led to victory in May.

Fan Support in Munich

Over four hundred Arsenal fans had traveled to Munich, many filing into the Hofbräuhaus before the game for their traditional gathering. They were placed in a section of the upper level at the Allianz Arena, but still created an atmosphere, competing with 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 "showed everything we had" in their hard-fought tie with Chelsea on Saturday. They were "deeply disappointed" by the result against the WSL champions, with controversial officiating bearing the brunt of those frustrations.

The goal, 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 slow start.

Strong Start for Visitors

They opened on the front foot. Beth Mead 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 the forward's attempt that gave Arsenal the advantage in the fifth minute, the striker's effort unusually parried by the Bayern goalkeeper, the German shot-stopper. The midfielder 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 determination to play out from the back had been dangerous and was exploited. Mead cut out the defender's wayward ball and passed to the Swedish striker, who poked it towards Mariona Caldentey on the edge of the box. The mercurial midfielder took a control to create space from Tanikawa before lashing past the goalkeeper.

Second Half Turnaround

The intensity dropped a little in the final period. José Barcala made substitutions to try to get his team back into the game: the former Chelsea forward Danish international, whose three goals in October 2024 turned the match from 2-2 to 5-2, entered and Arianna Caruso and Alara Sehitler arrived soon after. The final substitute would cause problems first, sprinting forward and collecting from German winger before directing the ball past Van Domselaar.

Complete Turnaround

It was Bayern in the ascendancy after the gap narrowed, the home team sensing they could get a result 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 lead, Icelandic defender scoring at the front post from the winger's delivery. This time it was a sluggish end that disappointed Arsenal and, with a single victory from their European matches, they have a big job ahead.