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Arsenal required a strong performance and positive 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 Fortunes from Last Season

Last season, a battling comeback from 2-1 down to a 3-2 victory over Bayern in their final group game made up for their heavy defeat to the Bavarian side and ignited their phenomenal run to the final. It represented a turning point in their season, demonstrating a mental toughness that carried them to a second Champions League title. Their breakdown here showed they are yet to recapture the fighting spirit that ensured success in May.

Travelling Supporters in Munich

Over four hundred Arsenal fans had made the trip to Munich, many gathering at the city's famous beer hall before the game for their traditional gathering. They were shoved into a corner of the upper level at the Allianz Arena, but still created an atmosphere, battling against the impressive home crowd of over 15,000 that brought the noise in the lower tier.

Building on Previous Performance

Daphne van Domselaar had stated her team had "showed everything we had" in their 1-1 draw with Chelsea on Saturday. They were "devastated" by the outcome against the league leaders, with controversial officiating bearing the brunt of those disappointments.

The aim, 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 stuck to the plan and there was no repetition of that slow start.

Fast Beginning for Visitors

They opened on the front foot. The England forward was particularly energetic and caused problems for the Bayern defender Franziska Kett and the midfielder Japanese international on the right as Arsenal's intense pressure proved effective.

It was the forward's attempt that ensured Arsenal took the lead in the fifth minute, 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.

Doubling the Lead

Arsenal's next score arrived in the 23rd minute. Bayern's insistence on building from defense had been risky and was exploited. Mead cut out Stine Ballisager's stray pass and laid off to Stina Blackstenius, who poked it towards the Spanish midfielder on the edge of the box. The mercurial midfielder took a control to create space from Tanikawa before lashing past the goalkeeper.

Second Half Collapse

The intensity dropped a little in the final period. José Barcala made substitutions to try to bring his side into the game: the former Chelsea forward Pernille Harder, whose hat-trick in October 2024 turned the match from 2-2 to 5-2, came on and Italian midfielder and Alara Sehitler followed shortly. The last of these would cause problems first, sprinting forward and receiving from German winger before guiding the ball past the Arsenal keeper.

Complete Turnaround

It was Bayern in the driving seat after the deficit was reduced, the home team believing they could get a result from the game. Harder delivered, clipping a cross in from the penalty box to equalize. They did not just want to draw, though: they wanted everything, and six minutes later they had the advantage, Icelandic defender turning in at the front 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.