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Arsenal required a strong performance and positive result against a European powerhouse, but Renée Slegers’s side relinquished their two-goal lead and the victory to Bayern Munich with little resistance, casting their Champions League defence into tricky waters.

Contrasting Outcomes 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 ignited their phenomenal run to the championship match. It marked a turning point in their season, showing a mental toughness that carried them to a European triumph. Their breakdown here showed they are yet to recapture the spirit that led to victory in May.

Fan Support in Munich

More than 400 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 placed in a section of the upper level at the Allianz Arena, but still made their voices heard, battling against the impressive home crowd of over 15,000 that brought the noise in the lower tier.

Building on Recent Form

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

The goal, though, was to channel the momentum of that strong performance after halftime 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.

Strong Start for Visitors

They started aggressively. The England forward was particularly energetic and caused problems for the Bayern full-back Franziska Kett and the central player Japanese international on the right as Arsenal's high and aggressive pressing reaped its rewards.

It was the forward's attempt that gave Arsenal the advantage in the fifth minute, the England forward's shot unusually parried by the Bayern goalkeeper, Maria Luisa Grohs. The midfielder was there to nod the ball back over the keeper and in.

Doubling the Lead

Arsenal's second goal arrived in the 23rd minute. Bayern's determination to play out from the back had been risky and was exploited. The winger cut out Stine Ballisager's stray pass and laid off to the Swedish striker, who poked it towards Mariona Caldentey on the edge of the box. The mercurial midfielder took a control to alleviate pressure from the defender before lashing past Grohs.

Second Half Collapse

The energy 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 hat-trick in October 2024 turned the match 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 German winger before directing the ball past Van Domselaar.

Total Turnaround

It was Bayern in the driving seat after the deficit was reduced, the hosts sensing they could get a result from the game. The substitute produced, clipping a looping ball in from the edge of the area to equalize. They did not just want to take something, 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 poor finish that let down Arsenal and, with one win from their European matches, they have a major challenge ahead.