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The London side needed a impressive display and positive result against a European powerhouse, but Renée Slegers’s side relinquished their two-goal lead and the victory to Bayern Munich far too easily, casting their Champions League defence into tricky waters.

Contrasting Outcomes from Previous Campaign

Last season, a inspiring fightback from a goal behind to a narrow win over Bayern in their last group stage match made up for their heavy defeat to the Bavarian side and kickstarted their phenomenal run to the final. It marked a turning point in their season, showing a resilience that carried them to a European triumph. Their collapse here showed they are still searching for the fighting spirit that ensured success in May.

Travelling Supporters in Germany

More than 400 Arsenal fans had made the trip to Munich, many gathering at the city's famous beer hall 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 made their voices heard, competing with the impressive home crowd of over 15,000 that made their presence felt in the stands below.

Building on Recent Form

Daphne van Domselaar had said her team had "given their all" in their 1-1 draw with Chelsea on Saturday. They were "devastated" by the outcome against the WSL champions, with questionable refereeing decisions receiving much criticism of those disappointments.

The goal, though, was to take the energy of that strong performance after halftime to Germany with them. Arsenal had started slowly against Chelsea. In Munich they executed their strategy and there was no repeat of that sluggish beginning.

Strong Start for Arsenal

They started aggressively. The England forward was especially lively and created difficulties for the Bayern full-back their left-back and the central player Japanese international on the right as Arsenal's intense pressure proved effective.

It was Mead's effort that ensured Arsenal took the lead in the early stages, the striker's effort 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 Lead

Arsenal's second goal arrived in the 23rd minute. Bayern's insistence on building from defense had been dangerous and was capitalized on. The winger intercepted 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 talented playmaker took a control to alleviate pressure from the defender before lashing past Grohs.

After Break Collapse

The energy dropped a little in the final period. The Bayern coach turned to his bench to try to get his team back into the game: the ex-London striker 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 arrived soon after. The last of these would cause problems first, flying away on the break and collecting from Klara Bühl before guiding the ball past the Arsenal keeper.

Total Turnaround

It was Bayern in the ascendancy after the gap narrowed, the home team sensing they could get a result from the game. Harder produced, clipping a looping ball in from the edge of the area to equalize. They did not just want to draw, though: they wanted it all, and six minutes later they had the advantage, Icelandic defender scoring at the near post from the winger's delivery. This time it was a sluggish end that let down Arsenal and, with a single victory from their European matches, they have a major challenge ahead.