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The London side required a strong performance and favorable result against a European powerhouse, but Renée Slegers’s side relinquished their two-goal lead and the victory to Bayern Munich far too easily, casting their European campaign into tricky waters.

Different Outcomes from Previous Campaign

In the previous campaign, a inspiring fightback from 2-1 down to a narrow win over Bayern in their last group stage match avenged 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, showing a mental toughness that propelled them to a European triumph. Their breakdown here showed they are yet to recapture the spirit that ensured success in May.

Fan Support in Germany

More than 400 Arsenal fans had made the trip to Munich, many filing into the Hofbräuhaus before the game for their pre-match meet-up. They were placed in a section of the middle tier at the Allianz Arena, but still created an atmosphere, battling against the vocal local supporters of over 15,000 that made their presence felt in the stands below.

Learning from Previous Performance

Daphne van Domselaar had said her team had "showed everything we had" in their 1-1 draw with Chelsea on Saturday. They were "devastated" by the outcome against the league leaders, with controversial officiating bearing the brunt of those frustrations.

The aim, though, was to channel the momentum of that strong performance after halftime to Germany with them. Arsenal had begun poorly against Chelsea. In Munich they executed their strategy and there was no repeat of that slow start.

Strong Start for Visitors

They started aggressively. Beth Mead was particularly energetic and created difficulties for the Bayern full-back Franziska Kett and the midfielder Momoko Tanikawa on the right as Arsenal's intense pressure reaped its rewards.

It was the forward's attempt that ensured Arsenal took the lead in the fifth minute, 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 goalkeeper and in.

Doubling the Advantage

Arsenal's second goal arrived midway through the half. Bayern's determination to play out from the back had been dangerous and was exploited. The winger intercepted Stine Ballisager's stray pass 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 alleviate pressure from Tanikawa before driving past the goalkeeper.

After Break Turnaround

The intensity lessened a little in the second half. The Bayern coach made substitutions to try to bring his side into the game: the ex-London striker Pernille Harder, whose hat-trick in October 2024 took the game from 2-2 to 5-2, entered and Arianna Caruso and Alara Sehitler followed shortly. The final substitute would cause problems 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 sensing they could get a result from the game. The substitute produced, clipping a looping ball 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, Glodis Viggosdottir scoring at the front post from Bühl's cross. This time it was a poor finish that disappointed Arsenal and, with one win from three Champions League games, they have a big job ahead.