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The London side needed a strong performance and favorable outcome against a continental giant, but Renée Slegers’s side relinquished their two-goal lead and the victory to Bayern Munich far too easily, plunging their European campaign into difficult waters.

Contrasting Fortunes from Last Season

Last season, a inspiring fightback from 2-1 down to a narrow win over Bayern in their last group stage match made up for their opening 5-2 loss to the German opponents and kickstarted their remarkable journey to the championship match. It represented a pivotal moment in their season, showing a mental toughness that carried them to a European triumph. Their breakdown here showed they are yet to recapture the spirit that led to victory in May.

Fan Support in Munich

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 traditional gathering. They were shoved into a section of the middle tier at the Allianz Arena, but still made their voices heard, battling against the impressive home crowd of over 15,000 that made their presence felt in the lower tier.

Building on Recent Form

The Arsenal goalkeeper had stated her team had "showed everything we had" in their hard-fought tie with Chelsea on Saturday. They were "deeply disappointed" by the result against the WSL champions, with controversial officiating bearing the brunt of those frustrations.

The goal, though, was to channel the momentum 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.

Strong Start for Arsenal

They started aggressively. Beth Mead was particularly energetic and caused problems for the Bayern full-back their left-back and the central player Momoko Tanikawa on the right as Arsenal's intense pressure reaped its rewards.

It was Mead's effort 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. The midfielder was there to head it back over the keeper 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 capitalized on. The winger intercepted the defender's wayward ball and laid off to Stina Blackstenius, who poked it towards the Spanish midfielder on the penalty area. The talented playmaker took a touch to alleviate pressure from the defender before lashing past the goalkeeper.

Second Half Turnaround

The intensity lessened a little in the second half. José Barcala made substitutions to try to get his team back into the game: the former Chelsea forward Danish international, whose hat-trick in October 2024 turned the match from 2-2 to 5-2, entered and Arianna Caruso and Turkish talent arrived soon after. The last of these would cause problems first, sprinting forward and collecting from Klara Bühl before directing the ball past the Arsenal keeper.

Complete Turnaround

It was Bayern in the driving seat after the gap narrowed, the hosts sensing they could take something from the game. The substitute delivered, floating a looping ball in from the penalty box to level. They did not just want to draw, though: they wanted everything, and shortly after they had the advantage, Icelandic defender scoring at the front post from Bühl's cross. This time it was a poor finish that disappointed Arsenal and, with one win from their European matches, they have a major challenge ahead.