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Arsenal needed a strong display and favorable outcome against a European powerhouse, but Renée Slegers’s side relinquished their two-goal lead and all three points to Bayern Munich far too easily, casting their Champions League defence into tricky waters.

Contrasting Outcomes from Last Season

In the previous campaign, a inspiring fightback from 2-1 down to a narrow win over Bayern in their last group stage match made up for their heavy defeat to the Bavarian side and ignited their remarkable journey to the final. It represented a turning point in their season, demonstrating a resilience that carried them to a European triumph. Their collapse here demonstrated they are still searching for the fighting spirit that led to victory in May.

Travelling Supporters in Germany

More than 400 Arsenal fans had made the trip to Munich, many filing into the Hofbräuhaus before the game for their pre-match meet-up. They were placed in a section of the middle tier at the Allianz Arena, but still created an atmosphere, competing with the impressive home crowd of over 15,000 that made their presence felt in the lower tier.

Building on Recent Form

Daphne van Domselaar had stated her team had "showed everything we had" in their hard-fought tie 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 impressive second-half display 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.

Strong Start for Arsenal

They started aggressively. Beth Mead 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 proved effective.

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. The midfielder was there to head it back over the goalkeeper and in.

Extending the Advantage

Arsenal's second goal arrived midway through the half. Bayern's insistence on building from defense had been dangerous and was exploited. The winger cut out the defender's wayward ball and passed to Stina Blackstenius, who poked it towards the Spanish midfielder on the penalty area. The mercurial midfielder took a touch to alleviate pressure from the defender before lashing past Grohs.

After Break Collapse

The intensity dropped a little in the final period. José Barcala turned to his bench 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, entered and Italian midfielder and Alara Sehitler followed shortly. The final substitute would cause problems first, flying away on the break and collecting from German winger before guiding the ball past Van Domselaar.

Complete Comeback

It was Bayern in the driving seat after the deficit was reduced, the hosts sensing they could take something from the game. The substitute produced, floating a looping ball in from the penalty box to equalize. They did not just want to draw, though: they wanted everything, and shortly after they had the advantage, Icelandic defender turning in at the near post from the winger's delivery. This time it was a sluggish end that let down Arsenal and, with one win from three Champions League games, they have a major challenge ahead.