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The London side required a strong display and positive outcome against a European powerhouse, but Renée Slegers’s side relinquished their 2-0 advantage and the victory to Bayern Munich with little resistance, casting their European campaign into tricky waters.

Contrasting Outcomes from Last Season

Last season, a battling comeback from 2-1 down to a narrow win over Bayern in their final group game made up for their opening 5-2 loss to the German opponents and kickstarted their phenomenal run to the championship match. It marked a pivotal moment in their season, demonstrating a resilience that propelled them to a European triumph. Their collapse here showed they are yet to recapture the fighting spirit that ensured success in May.

Fan Support in Germany

Over four hundred Arsenal fans had traveled to Munich, many filing into the Hofbräuhaus before the game for their traditional gathering. They were placed in a corner of the upper level at the Allianz Arena, but still created an atmosphere, competing with the vocal local supporters of over 15,000 that brought the noise in the lower tier.

Learning from Recent Form

The Arsenal goalkeeper had stated her team had "given their all" in their hard-fought tie with Chelsea on Saturday. They were "deeply disappointed" by the result against the WSL champions, with controversial officiating receiving much criticism of those disappointments.

The goal, though, was to channel the momentum of that strong performance after halftime to Germany with them. Arsenal had started slowly against Chelsea. In Munich they stuck to the plan and there was no repetition of that slow start.

Fast Beginning for Arsenal

They started aggressively. The England forward was particularly energetic and caused problems for the Bayern full-back their left-back and the midfielder Japanese international on the right as Arsenal's high and aggressive pressing reaped its rewards.

It was Mead's effort that ensured Arsenal took the lead in the fifth minute, the striker's effort unusually parried by the Bayern goalkeeper, the German shot-stopper. The midfielder was there to head it back over the keeper and in.

Extending the Lead

Arsenal's next score arrived in the 23rd minute. Bayern's insistence on building from defense had been risky and was exploited. The winger cut out the defender's wayward ball and passed to the Swedish striker, who poked it towards the Spanish midfielder on the penalty area. The mercurial midfielder took a control to alleviate pressure from the defender before lashing past the goalkeeper.

Second Half Turnaround

The intensity 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 took the game from 2-2 to 5-2, came on and Italian midfielder and Turkish talent followed shortly. 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 ascendancy after the deficit was reduced, the home team sensing they could get a result from the game. The substitute delivered, clipping a cross in from the penalty box to level. They did not just want to take something, though: they wanted it all, and six minutes later they had the lead, Icelandic defender scoring at the front post from Bühl's cross. This time it was a poor finish that disappointed Arsenal and, with a single victory from three Champions League games, they have a big job ahead.