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Arsenal needed a impressive display and positive outcome against a European powerhouse, but the team relinquished their 2-0 advantage and all three points to Bayern Munich with little resistance, casting their Champions League defence into tricky waters.

Different Outcomes from Last Season

In the previous campaign, a battling comeback from 2-1 down to a 3-2 victory over Bayern in their last group stage match made up for their opening 5-2 loss to the German opponents and kickstarted their phenomenal run to the championship match. It marked a turning point in their season, demonstrating a mental toughness that propelled them to a European triumph. Their breakdown here demonstrated 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 city's famous beer hall before the game for their pre-match meet-up. They were shoved into a corner of the middle tier at the Allianz Arena, but still created an atmosphere, battling against 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 said 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 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 executed their strategy and there was no repeat of that slow start.

Strong Start for Arsenal

They started aggressively. Beth Mead was particularly energetic and created difficulties for the Bayern full-back Franziska Kett and the central player Momoko Tanikawa 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 England forward's shot unusually parried by the Bayern goalkeeper, Maria Luisa Grohs. The midfielder was there to head it 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 risky and was capitalized on. Mead cut out the defender's wayward ball and passed to the Swedish striker, who directed it towards the Spanish midfielder on the penalty area. The mercurial midfielder took a touch to alleviate pressure from Tanikawa before driving past the goalkeeper.

After Break Turnaround

The energy dropped a little in the second half. The Bayern coach made substitutions to try to bring his side into the game: the former Chelsea forward Danish international, whose hat-trick in October 2024 turned the match from 2-2 to 5-2, came on and Arianna Caruso and Alara Sehitler arrived soon after. The final substitute would cause problems first, sprinting forward and receiving from Klara Bühl before directing the ball past Van Domselaar.

Complete Comeback

It was Bayern in the driving seat after the gap narrowed, the hosts believing they could get a result from the game. Harder delivered, clipping a looping ball in from the edge of the area to equalize. 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 near post from the winger's delivery. This time it was a sluggish end that disappointed Arsenal and, with one win from their European matches, they have a major challenge ahead.