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The London side needed a strong performance and positive result against a European powerhouse, but Renée Slegers’s side relinquished their two-goal lead and the victory to Bayern Munich far too easily, plunging their Champions League defence into tricky waters.

Contrasting Outcomes from Previous Campaign

Last season, a battling comeback from a goal behind to a narrow win over Bayern in their final group game avenged their heavy defeat to the Bavarian side and kickstarted their remarkable journey to the final. 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.

Fan Support in Munich

Over four hundred Arsenal fans had traveled to Munich, many gathering at 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, battling against the impressive home crowd of over 15,000 that brought the noise in the lower tier.

Building on Recent Form

The Arsenal goalkeeper 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 WSL champions, with questionable refereeing decisions receiving much criticism of those disappointments.

The aim, though, was to take the energy of that strong performance after halftime to Germany with them. Arsenal had started slowly against Chelsea. In Munich they stuck to the plan and there was no repeat of that sluggish beginning.

Fast Beginning for Arsenal

They started aggressively. Beth Mead was especially lively and caused problems for the Bayern defender their left-back and the midfielder Japanese international on the right as Arsenal's high and aggressive pressing reaped its rewards.

It was the forward's attempt that ensured Arsenal took the lead in the early stages, the striker's effort unusually parried by the Bayern goalkeeper, Maria Luisa Grohs. Fox was there to head it back over the keeper and in.

Extending the Lead

Arsenal's second goal arrived midway through the half. Bayern's insistence on building from defense had been risky and was exploited. Mead cut out the defender's wayward ball and laid off to the Swedish striker, who directed it towards Mariona Caldentey on the penalty area. The mercurial midfielder took a control to create space from the defender before lashing past the goalkeeper.

After Break 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 former Chelsea forward Pernille Harder, whose three goals in October 2024 took the game from 2-2 to 5-2, came on and Italian midfielder and Alara Sehitler followed shortly. The final substitute would cause problems first, sprinting forward and collecting from Klara Bühl 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. Harder delivered, clipping a cross in from the edge of the area to level. They did not just want to take something, though: they wanted everything, and six minutes later they had the lead, Glodis Viggosdottir turning in at the near post from Bühl's cross. This time it was a poor finish that disappointed Arsenal and, with one win from their European matches, they have a big job ahead.