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Arsenal needed a impressive performance and favorable outcome against a continental giant, but Renée Slegers’s side relinquished their 2-0 advantage and all three points to Bayern Munich far too easily, plunging their Champions League defence into difficult waters.

Contrasting Fortunes from Last Season

Last season, a battling comeback from 2-1 down to a narrow win over Bayern in their last group stage match avenged their heavy defeat to the German opponents and ignited their remarkable journey to the championship match. It represented a turning point in their season, demonstrating a mental toughness that carried them to a second Champions League title. Their breakdown here demonstrated they are still searching for the fighting spirit that ensured success in May.

Fan Support in Germany

Over four hundred Arsenal fans had traveled to Munich, many gathering at the Hofbräuhaus before the game for their traditional gathering. They were shoved into a corner of the middle tier at the Allianz Arena, but still made their voices heard, competing with the impressive home crowd of over 15,000 that brought the noise in the lower tier.

Building on Recent Form

Daphne van Domselaar had said her team had "showed everything we had" in their hard-fought tie with Chelsea on Saturday. They were "deeply disappointed" by the outcome against the league leaders, 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 started slowly against Chelsea. In Munich they executed their strategy and there was no repetition of that sluggish beginning.

Strong Start for Arsenal

They opened on the front foot. The England forward was particularly energetic and created difficulties for the Bayern defender Franziska Kett and the central player Momoko Tanikawa on the right as Arsenal's high and aggressive pressing proved effective.

It was Mead's effort that ensured Arsenal took the lead in the early stages, the striker's effort strangely pushed away by the Bayern goalkeeper, the German shot-stopper. The midfielder was there to head it back over the keeper and in.

Doubling the Advantage

Arsenal's second goal arrived in the 23rd minute. Bayern's determination to play out from the back had been risky and was capitalized on. Mead cut out the defender's wayward ball and passed to Stina Blackstenius, who poked it towards the Spanish midfielder on the edge of the box. The talented playmaker took a control to create space from Tanikawa before driving past Grohs.

Second Half Turnaround

The intensity dropped a little in the final period. José Barcala made substitutions to try to bring his side into the game: the ex-London striker Pernille Harder, whose hat-trick in October 2024 turned the match from 2-2 to 5-2, entered and Italian midfielder and Turkish talent arrived soon after. The last of these would cause problems first, sprinting forward and collecting from German winger before guiding the ball past Van Domselaar.

Complete Turnaround

It was Bayern in the driving seat after the gap narrowed, the home team sensing 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 draw, though: they wanted it all, and shortly after they had the advantage, 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.