🔗 Share this article

The London side required a impressive performance and favorable outcome 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 difficult waters.

Different Fortunes from Last Season

Last season, a inspiring fightback from 2-1 down 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 final. It represented a pivotal moment in their season, demonstrating a mental toughness that propelled them to a European triumph. Their breakdown here showed they are still searching for the fighting 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 created an atmosphere, battling against the vocal local supporters of over 15,000 that brought the noise in the lower tier.

Learning from Recent Form

The Arsenal goalkeeper had stated her team had "showed everything we had" in their 1-1 draw with Chelsea on Saturday. They were "deeply disappointed" by the outcome against the WSL champions, with controversial officiating 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 slow start.

Strong Start for Arsenal

They started aggressively. The England forward was particularly energetic and created difficulties for the Bayern defender their left-back and the central player Momoko Tanikawa on the right as Arsenal's intense pressure reaped its rewards.

It was Mead's effort that gave Arsenal the advantage in the fifth minute, the England forward's shot strangely pushed away by the Bayern goalkeeper, Maria Luisa Grohs. Fox was there to head it back over the goalkeeper and in.

Extending the Advantage

Arsenal's next score arrived midway through the half. Bayern's determination to play out from the back had been risky and was capitalized on. Mead cut out the defender's wayward ball and passed to Stina Blackstenius, who directed it towards the Spanish midfielder on the edge of the box. The mercurial midfielder took a touch to create space from the defender before lashing past the goalkeeper.

After Break Turnaround

The intensity lessened a little in the second half. José Barcala turned to his bench to try to bring his side into the game: the ex-London striker Pernille Harder, whose three goals in October 2024 turned the match from 2-2 to 5-2, came on and Italian midfielder and Turkish talent followed shortly. The final substitute would cause problems first, flying away on the break and collecting from Klara Bühl before directing the ball past Van Domselaar.

Total Turnaround

It was Bayern in the driving seat 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 shortly after they had the lead, Icelandic defender turning in at the near post from the winger's delivery. 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.