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Arsenal needed a strong display and favorable outcome against a continental giant, but the team surrendered their two-goal lead and the victory to Bayern Munich with little resistance, casting their Champions League defence into tricky waters.

Different Fortunes from Previous Campaign

In the previous campaign, a battling comeback from a goal behind 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 phenomenal run to the championship match. It represented a pivotal moment in their season, demonstrating a mental toughness that propelled them to a European triumph. Their collapse here showed they are yet to recapture the 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 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 made their voices heard, battling against the impressive home crowd of over 15,000 that made their presence felt in the lower tier.

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 WSL champions, with questionable refereeing decisions receiving much criticism of those frustrations.

The goal, 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 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 caused problems 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 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.

Extending the Lead

Arsenal's next score arrived in the 23rd minute. Bayern's determination to play out from the back had been dangerous and was capitalized on. Mead intercepted the defender's wayward ball and passed to the Swedish striker, who directed it towards Mariona Caldentey on the penalty area. The talented playmaker took a control to create space from the defender before driving past Grohs.

Second Half Turnaround

The intensity dropped a little in the final period. The Bayern coach turned to his bench to try to get his team back 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 Arianna Caruso and Turkish talent followed shortly. The final substitute would cause problems first, flying away on the break and receiving from Klara Bühl before guiding the ball past the Arsenal keeper.

Complete Comeback

It was Bayern in the ascendancy after the deficit was reduced, the home team sensing they could get a result from the game. Harder produced, clipping a looping ball in from the penalty box to level. They did not just want to take something, though: they wanted everything, 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 a single victory from three Champions League games, they have a major challenge ahead.