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Arsenal needed a impressive performance and positive outcome against a continental giant, but Renée Slegers’s side surrendered their 2-0 advantage and all three points to Bayern Munich with little resistance, casting their European campaign into difficult waters.

Different Outcomes from Previous Campaign

In the previous campaign, a battling comeback from a goal behind to a narrow win over Bayern in their final group game avenged their heavy defeat to the Bavarian side and ignited their remarkable journey to the championship match. It represented a turning point in their season, demonstrating a resilience that carried them to a European triumph. Their collapse here showed they are yet to recapture the fighting spirit that led to victory 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 section of the middle tier at the Allianz Arena, but still created an atmosphere, competing with the vocal local supporters of over 15,000 that made their presence felt in the lower tier.

Learning from Previous Performance

The Arsenal goalkeeper had said her team had "showed everything we had" in their 1-1 draw with Chelsea on Saturday. They were "deeply disappointed" by the result against the WSL champions, with controversial officiating bearing the brunt of those frustrations.

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 stuck to the plan and there was no repeat of that slow start.

Fast Beginning for Arsenal

They started aggressively. Beth Mead was particularly energetic and caused problems for the Bayern full-back Franziska Kett and the midfielder 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 early stages, 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 second goal arrived in the 23rd minute. Bayern's determination to play out from the back had been dangerous and was capitalized on. The winger cut out the defender's wayward ball and laid off to Stina Blackstenius, who poked it towards the Spanish midfielder on the penalty area. The talented playmaker took a control to create space from the defender before driving past the goalkeeper.

Second Half Turnaround

The intensity dropped a little in the final period. José Barcala made substitutions to try to get his team back into the game: the former Chelsea forward Danish international, whose hat-trick in October 2024 took the game from 2-2 to 5-2, came on and Arianna Caruso and Alara Sehitler followed shortly. The last of these would cause problems first, flying away on the break and receiving from Klara Bühl before directing the ball past Van Domselaar.

Total Comeback

It was Bayern in the ascendancy after the gap narrowed, the home team sensing they could take something from the game. The substitute produced, clipping a cross in from the penalty box to equalize. They did not just want to take something, though: they wanted everything, and shortly after they had the advantage, Icelandic defender turning in at the front post from Bühl's cross. This time it was a sluggish end that disappointed Arsenal and, with a single victory from their European matches, they have a major challenge ahead.