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Arsenal needed a impressive display and favorable result against a continental giant, but the team relinquished their 2-0 advantage and the victory to Bayern Munich far too easily, casting their Champions League defence into difficult waters.

Contrasting Fortunes from Last Season

Last season, a battling comeback from a goal behind to a 3-2 victory over Bayern in their final group game avenged their heavy defeat to the Bavarian side and ignited their remarkable journey to the championship match. It marked a pivotal moment in their season, showing a resilience that propelled them to a second Champions League title. Their breakdown here demonstrated they are still searching for the spirit that ensured success in May.

Travelling Supporters in Germany

More than 400 Arsenal fans had made the trip to Munich, many gathering at the Hofbräuhaus 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 created an atmosphere, 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 "showed everything we had" in their 1-1 draw with Chelsea on Saturday. They were "deeply disappointed" by the result against the league leaders, with questionable refereeing decisions receiving much criticism of those frustrations.

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 slow start.

Fast Beginning for Arsenal

They started aggressively. The England forward was particularly energetic and caused problems for the Bayern full-back their left-back and the midfielder 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 fifth minute, the striker's effort strangely pushed away by the Bayern goalkeeper, Maria Luisa Grohs. Fox was there to head it 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 dangerous and was exploited. Mead cut out the defender's wayward ball and passed to the Swedish striker, who directed it towards the Spanish midfielder on the penalty area. The talented playmaker took a control to create space from Tanikawa before lashing past Grohs.

Second Half Collapse

The intensity dropped a little in the final period. José Barcala turned to his bench to try to bring his side into the game: the ex-London striker Pernille Harder, whose three goals 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 make Arsenal sweat first, flying away on the break and receiving from German winger before guiding the ball past Van Domselaar.

Total Turnaround

It was Bayern in the ascendancy after the gap narrowed, the hosts believing they could get a result from the game. The substitute produced, floating a cross in from the edge of the area to equalize. They did not just want to draw, though: they wanted it all, and six minutes later they had the lead, Icelandic defender scoring at the front post from Bühl's cross. This time it was a sluggish end that let down Arsenal and, with a single victory from their European matches, they have a big job ahead.