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The London side required a strong display and positive result against a European powerhouse, but Renée Slegers’s side surrendered their two-goal lead and all three points to Bayern Munich far too easily, plunging their Champions League defence into difficult waters.

Contrasting Fortunes from Last Season

In the previous campaign, a inspiring fightback from 2-1 down to a 3-2 victory over Bayern in their final group game made up for their heavy defeat to the German opponents and kickstarted their remarkable journey to the championship match. It represented a turning point in their season, showing a resilience that carried them to a European triumph. Their breakdown here showed they are yet to recapture the fighting spirit that ensured success in May.

Travelling Supporters in Germany

Over four hundred Arsenal fans had traveled 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 made their voices heard, competing with the vocal local supporters of over 15,000 that brought the noise in the stands below.

Learning from Previous Performance

The Arsenal goalkeeper had said her team had "showed everything we had" in their hard-fought tie with Chelsea on Saturday. They were "devastated" by the outcome against the WSL champions, with questionable refereeing decisions bearing the brunt of those disappointments.

The goal, though, was to channel the momentum of that impressive second-half display to Germany with them. Arsenal had started slowly against Chelsea. In Munich they executed their strategy and there was no repeat of that sluggish beginning.

Strong Start for Visitors

They started aggressively. Beth Mead was particularly energetic and caused problems for the Bayern defender their left-back and the central player Japanese international on the right as Arsenal's intense pressure reaped its rewards.

It was Mead's effort that ensured Arsenal took the lead in the early stages, the striker's effort strangely pushed away by the Bayern goalkeeper, Maria Luisa Grohs. The midfielder was there to nod the ball back over the goalkeeper and in.

Doubling the Lead

Arsenal's next score arrived midway through the half. Bayern's insistence on building from defense had been risky and was capitalized on. The winger cut out Stine Ballisager's stray pass and laid off to the Swedish striker, who directed it towards the Spanish midfielder on the penalty area. The mercurial midfielder took a control to create space from the defender before driving past the goalkeeper.

Second Half Collapse

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, entered and Arianna Caruso and Turkish talent arrived soon after. The last of these would cause problems first, flying away on the break and collecting from German winger before directing the ball past the Arsenal keeper.

Complete Turnaround

It was Bayern in the ascendancy after the gap narrowed, the home team sensing they could get a result from the game. Harder produced, floating a looping ball in from the edge of the area to equalize. They did not just want to draw, though: they wanted everything, and shortly after 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 big job ahead.