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Arsenal required a impressive performance and positive result against a continental giant, but the team relinquished their two-goal lead and the victory to Bayern Munich far too easily, casting their European campaign into tricky waters.

Contrasting Outcomes from Last Season

Last season, a battling comeback from 2-1 down to a 3-2 victory over Bayern in their last group stage match made up for their heavy defeat to the German opponents and ignited their remarkable journey to the championship match. It represented a turning point in their season, demonstrating a resilience that propelled them to a second Champions League title. Their collapse here demonstrated they are yet to recapture the fighting spirit that led to victory in May.

Fan Support in Munich

More than 400 Arsenal fans had traveled to Munich, many gathering at the Hofbräuhaus before the game for their pre-match meet-up. They were shoved into a section of the upper level at the Allianz Arena, but still made their voices heard, battling against the vocal local supporters of over 15,000 that made their presence felt in the lower tier.

Learning from Previous Performance

Daphne van Domselaar had stated her team had "given their all" in their 1-1 draw with Chelsea on Saturday. They were "deeply disappointed" by the outcome against the league leaders, with questionable refereeing decisions bearing the brunt of those disappointments.

The goal, 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 slow start.

Fast Beginning 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 Mead's effort that gave Arsenal the advantage in the fifth minute, the striker's effort unusually parried by the Bayern goalkeeper, the German shot-stopper. Fox was there to nod the ball back over the goalkeeper and in.

Doubling the Lead

Arsenal's second goal arrived in the 23rd minute. Bayern's insistence on building from defense had been dangerous and was capitalized on. The winger intercepted Stine Ballisager's stray pass and laid off 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 the goalkeeper.

After Break Collapse

The energy lessened a little in the final period. José Barcala made substitutions to try to get his team back into the game: the former Chelsea forward Pernille Harder, whose hat-trick in October 2024 turned the match from 2-2 to 5-2, entered and Arianna Caruso and Alara Sehitler followed shortly. The final substitute would cause problems first, sprinting forward and receiving from German winger before directing the ball past the Arsenal keeper.

Total Comeback

It was Bayern in the driving seat after the gap narrowed, the hosts 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 advantage, Glodis Viggosdottir scoring at the near post from Bühl's cross. This time it was a sluggish end that let down Arsenal and, with one win from three Champions League games, they have a major challenge ahead.