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The London side required a strong display and favorable result against a continental giant, but the team relinquished their 2-0 advantage and all three points to Bayern Munich with little resistance, plunging their Champions League defence into tricky waters.

Contrasting Outcomes from Previous Campaign

In the previous campaign, a battling comeback from 2-1 down to a 3-2 victory over Bayern in their last group stage match avenged their opening 5-2 loss to the Bavarian side and ignited their remarkable journey to the championship match. It marked a turning point in their season, showing a mental toughness that propelled them to a second Champions League title. Their collapse here showed they are still searching for the 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 placed in a corner of the middle tier 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.

Building on Recent Form

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

The goal, though, was to take the energy 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 sluggish beginning.

Fast Beginning for Arsenal

They started aggressively. Beth Mead was especially lively and created difficulties for the Bayern full-back their left-back and the central player Momoko Tanikawa on the right as Arsenal's intense pressure proved effective.

It was Mead's effort that gave Arsenal the advantage in the early stages, the England forward's shot unusually parried by the Bayern goalkeeper, the German shot-stopper. The midfielder was there to nod the ball back over the goalkeeper and in.

Doubling the Advantage

Arsenal's second goal arrived midway through the half. Bayern's insistence on building from defense 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 Mariona Caldentey on the edge of the box. The mercurial midfielder took a touch to alleviate pressure from the defender before driving past Grohs.

After Break Collapse

The energy dropped a little in the second half. José Barcala turned to his bench to try to get his team back into the game: the former Chelsea forward Pernille Harder, 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 final substitute would cause problems first, flying away on the break and receiving from Klara Bühl before guiding the ball past Van Domselaar.

Total Comeback

It was Bayern in the ascendancy after the gap narrowed, the hosts believing they could get a result from the game. Harder delivered, clipping a cross in from the edge of the area to level. They did not just want to take something, though: they wanted it all, and six minutes later they had the lead, Glodis Viggosdottir scoring at the front post from the winger's delivery. This time it was a poor finish that disappointed Arsenal and, with a single victory from three Champions League games, they have a big job ahead.