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Arsenal required a strong performance and favorable result against a European powerhouse, but Renée Slegers’s side relinquished their two-goal lead and all three points to Bayern Munich with little resistance, casting their Champions League defence into difficult waters.

Contrasting Fortunes from Previous Campaign

Last season, a inspiring fightback from 2-1 down to a narrow win over Bayern in their last group stage match avenged their heavy defeat to the German opponents and ignited their phenomenal run to the final. It marked a pivotal moment in their season, demonstrating a resilience that carried them to a European triumph. Their breakdown here showed they are still searching for the spirit that led to victory in May.

Travelling Supporters in Germany

Over four hundred Arsenal fans had traveled to Munich, many filing into the Hofbräuhaus 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 created an atmosphere, battling against the vocal local supporters of over 15,000 that brought the noise in the stands below.

Learning from Previous Performance

Daphne van Domselaar had said her team had "showed everything we had" in their hard-fought tie with Chelsea on Saturday. They were "devastated" by the outcome against the WSL champions, with questionable refereeing decisions receiving much criticism of those frustrations.

The goal, 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 sluggish beginning.

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 reaped its rewards.

It was Mead's effort that gave Arsenal the advantage in the early stages, the striker's effort strangely pushed away by the Bayern goalkeeper, the German shot-stopper. The midfielder was there to head it back over the keeper and in.

Doubling the Lead

Arsenal's second goal arrived in the 23rd minute. Bayern's insistence on building from defense had been dangerous and was capitalized on. Mead cut out the defender's wayward ball and laid off to Stina Blackstenius, who directed it towards the Spanish midfielder on the penalty area. The talented playmaker took a touch to alleviate pressure from the defender before driving past the goalkeeper.

Second Half Turnaround

The energy lessened a little in the second half. The Bayern coach turned to his bench to try to bring his side into the game: the former Chelsea forward Danish international, whose three goals in October 2024 took the game from 2-2 to 5-2, entered and Italian midfielder and Alara Sehitler arrived soon after. The last of these would make Arsenal sweat first, sprinting forward and receiving from German winger before directing the ball past the Arsenal keeper.

Complete Comeback

It was Bayern in the driving seat after the gap narrowed, the home team sensing they could take something from the game. The substitute delivered, floating a looping ball 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 scoring at the near post from Bühl's cross. This time it was a sluggish end that disappointed Arsenal and, with one win from three Champions League games, they have a big job ahead.