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Arsenal needed a strong performance and positive outcome against a continental giant, but Renée Slegers’s side surrendered their two-goal lead and the victory to Bayern Munich far too easily, plunging their Champions League defence into tricky waters.

Different Outcomes from Last Season

Last season, 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 ignited their remarkable journey to the championship match. It marked a pivotal moment in their season, showing a mental toughness that carried them to a European triumph. Their breakdown here demonstrated 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 pre-match meet-up. They were placed in a section of the upper level at the Allianz Arena, but still made their voices heard, competing with the vocal local supporters of over 15,000 that made their presence felt in the lower tier.

Learning from Previous Performance

The Arsenal goalkeeper had said her team had "showed everything we had" in their 1-1 draw with Chelsea on Saturday. They were "deeply disappointed" by the outcome against the league leaders, with controversial officiating bearing the brunt 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.

Fast Beginning for Arsenal

They started aggressively. Beth Mead was particularly energetic and created difficulties for the Bayern full-back their left-back and the central player Japanese international on the right as Arsenal's high and aggressive pressing reaped its rewards.

It was the forward's attempt that gave Arsenal the advantage in the early stages, the striker's effort strangely pushed away by the Bayern goalkeeper, Maria Luisa Grohs. The midfielder was there to head it back over the goalkeeper and in.

Extending the Lead

Arsenal's next score arrived in the 23rd minute. Bayern's determination to play out from the back had been risky and was exploited. The winger intercepted the defender's wayward ball and passed to Stina Blackstenius, who poked it towards Mariona Caldentey on the edge of the box. The mercurial midfielder took a touch to alleviate pressure from Tanikawa before driving past Grohs.

After Break Collapse

The intensity lessened a little in the second half. José Barcala turned to his bench 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 Italian midfielder and Alara Sehitler followed shortly. The last of these would make Arsenal sweat first, sprinting forward and collecting from Klara Bühl before directing the ball past Van Domselaar.

Complete Turnaround

It was Bayern in the ascendancy after the gap narrowed, the home team sensing they could get a result 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 six minutes later they had the advantage, 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.