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The London side needed a impressive performance and favorable result against a continental giant, but Renée Slegers’s side surrendered their 2-0 advantage and the victory to Bayern Munich far too easily, plunging 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 last group stage match made up for their opening 5-2 loss to the German opponents and ignited their phenomenal run to the championship match. It marked a turning point in their season, showing a resilience 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

Over four hundred Arsenal fans had made the trip to Munich, many filing into 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, competing with the vocal local supporters of over 15,000 that made their presence felt in the lower tier.

Learning from Recent Form

The Arsenal goalkeeper had said her team had "given their all" in their 1-1 draw with Chelsea on Saturday. They were "devastated" by the result against the league leaders, with questionable refereeing decisions receiving much criticism of those frustrations.

The aim, though, was to take the energy 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 repetition of that sluggish beginning.

Strong Start for Arsenal

They opened on the front foot. Beth Mead was particularly energetic and created difficulties for the Bayern defender Franziska Kett and the central player Momoko Tanikawa on the right as Arsenal's high and aggressive pressing proved effective.

It was the forward's attempt that gave Arsenal the advantage 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 keeper and in.

Extending the Advantage

Arsenal's next score arrived in the 23rd minute. Bayern's determination to play out from the back had been dangerous and was exploited. The winger cut out the defender's wayward ball and passed to the Swedish striker, who poked it towards Mariona Caldentey on the penalty area. The mercurial midfielder took a control to create space from Tanikawa before driving past Grohs.

Second Half Collapse

The intensity dropped a little in the second half. The Bayern coach turned to his bench to try to get his team back into the game: the ex-London striker Danish international, whose three goals in October 2024 took the game from 2-2 to 5-2, entered and Arianna Caruso and Alara Sehitler arrived soon after. The final substitute would cause problems first, sprinting forward and collecting from German winger before directing the ball past the Arsenal keeper.

Total Comeback

It was Bayern in the ascendancy after the gap narrowed, the hosts sensing they could take something from the game. Harder produced, clipping a cross in from the penalty box to level. They did not just want to draw, though: they wanted it all, and shortly after they had the lead, Icelandic defender turning in at the near post from Bühl's cross. This time it was a sluggish end that let down Arsenal and, with one win from their European matches, they have a major challenge ahead.