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Arsenal needed a impressive performance and favorable result against a continental giant, but Renée Slegers’s side relinquished their two-goal lead and all three points to Bayern Munich with little resistance, plunging their European campaign into tricky waters.

Different Outcomes from Last Season

Last season, 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 Bavarian side and ignited their phenomenal run to the final. It marked a pivotal moment in their season, demonstrating a resilience that carried them to a European triumph. Their breakdown here demonstrated they are still searching for the fighting spirit that led to victory in May.

Fan Support in Munich

Over four hundred Arsenal fans had made the trip to Munich, many gathering at the city's famous beer hall 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 stands below.

Learning from Previous Performance

Daphne van Domselaar had said her team had "given their all" in their hard-fought tie with Chelsea on Saturday. They were "deeply disappointed" by the result against the league leaders, with controversial officiating receiving much criticism 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 stuck to the plan and there was no repetition of that slow start.

Fast Beginning for Arsenal

They started aggressively. The England forward was especially lively and created difficulties for the Bayern full-back their left-back and the midfielder Japanese international 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 England forward's shot unusually parried by the Bayern goalkeeper, Maria Luisa Grohs. The midfielder was there to head it back over the keeper and in.

Extending the Advantage

Arsenal's next score arrived in the 23rd minute. Bayern's insistence on building from defense 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 mercurial midfielder took a control to create space from Tanikawa before driving past Grohs.

Second Half Collapse

The energy dropped a little in the final period. The Bayern coach turned to his bench 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 arrived soon after. The last of these would cause problems first, sprinting forward and receiving from German winger before guiding the ball past the Arsenal keeper.

Total Comeback

It was Bayern in the ascendancy after the deficit was reduced, the home team believing they could get a result from the game. Harder produced, clipping a looping ball in from the edge of the area to level. They did not just want to draw, though: they wanted everything, and six minutes later they had the lead, Icelandic defender turning in at the near post from the winger's delivery. This time it was a sluggish end that let down Arsenal and, with a single victory from three Champions League games, they have a big job ahead.