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The London side needed a strong display and favorable outcome against a continental giant, but the team surrendered their 2-0 advantage and the victory to Bayern Munich with little resistance, plunging their European campaign into difficult waters.

Different Fortunes 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 avenged their heavy defeat to the Bavarian side and kickstarted their phenomenal run to the championship match. It marked a turning point in their season, showing a resilience that propelled them to a second Champions League title. Their collapse here showed they are yet to recapture the fighting spirit that ensured success in May.

Fan Support in Munich

More than 400 Arsenal fans had traveled to Munich, many filing into 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 lower tier.

Learning from Recent Form

Daphne van Domselaar 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 league leaders, with controversial officiating receiving much criticism of those disappointments.

The aim, though, was to take the energy 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 repetition of that slow start.

Strong Start for Arsenal

They opened on the front foot. Beth Mead was particularly energetic and created difficulties for the Bayern defender their left-back and the midfielder Momoko Tanikawa 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 striker's effort unusually parried 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 midway through the half. Bayern's determination to play out from the back had been dangerous and was exploited. The winger intercepted Stine Ballisager's stray pass and laid off to Stina Blackstenius, who poked it towards Mariona Caldentey on the penalty area. The mercurial midfielder took a control to create space from Tanikawa before lashing past the goalkeeper.

After Break Turnaround

The energy lessened 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 Pernille Harder, whose hat-trick in October 2024 took the game from 2-2 to 5-2, came on and Italian midfielder and Turkish talent arrived soon after. The last of these would make Arsenal sweat first, sprinting forward and receiving from German winger before directing the ball past Van Domselaar.

Complete Comeback

It was Bayern in the ascendancy after the deficit was reduced, the hosts believing they could get a result from the game. The substitute delivered, floating a cross in from the edge of the area to equalize. They did not just want to draw, though: they wanted everything, and six minutes later they had the lead, Glodis Viggosdottir turning in at the front post from Bühl's cross. This time it was a poor finish that disappointed Arsenal and, with one win from three Champions League games, they have a major challenge ahead.