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

Contrasting Fortunes from Last Season

Last season, a inspiring fightback from a goal behind to a 3-2 victory over Bayern in their final group game avenged their heavy defeat to the German opponents and kickstarted their remarkable journey to the final. It marked a pivotal moment in their season, demonstrating a resilience that carried them to a European triumph. Their breakdown here showed they are yet to recapture the fighting spirit that ensured success in May.

Travelling Supporters in Munich

More than 400 Arsenal fans had made the trip to Munich, many filing into the Hofbräuhaus before the game for their traditional gathering. They were placed in a section of the upper level at the Allianz Arena, but still created an atmosphere, competing with the impressive home crowd of over 15,000 that made their presence felt in the stands below.

Learning from Recent Form

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 result against the WSL champions, with controversial officiating receiving much criticism of those frustrations.

The aim, though, was to channel the momentum 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.

Fast Beginning for Arsenal

They started aggressively. Beth Mead was particularly energetic and created difficulties for the Bayern full-back Franziska Kett and the central player Japanese international on the right as Arsenal's intense pressure reaped its rewards.

It was the forward's attempt that gave Arsenal the advantage in the early stages, the England forward's shot unusually parried by the Bayern goalkeeper, the German shot-stopper. The midfielder was there to head it back over the goalkeeper and in.

Extending the Lead

Arsenal's second goal arrived midway through the half. Bayern's determination to play out from the back had been risky and was exploited. Mead intercepted Stine Ballisager's stray pass and laid off to the Swedish striker, who directed it towards Mariona Caldentey on the penalty area. The mercurial midfielder took a touch to alleviate pressure from Tanikawa before driving past the goalkeeper.

Second Half Turnaround

The intensity dropped a little in the final period. The Bayern coach turned to his bench to try to bring his side into the game: the ex-London striker Danish international, whose hat-trick in October 2024 took the game from 2-2 to 5-2, came on and Italian midfielder and Alara Sehitler arrived soon after. The final substitute would cause problems first, flying away on the break and receiving from German winger before directing the ball past Van Domselaar.

Total Comeback

It was Bayern in the ascendancy after the gap narrowed, the hosts sensing they could get a result from the game. The substitute delivered, floating a looping ball in from the edge of the area to level. They did not just want to take something, though: they wanted everything, and six minutes later they had the lead, Icelandic defender scoring at the front post from Bühl's cross. This time it was a sluggish end that let down Arsenal and, with one win from their European matches, they have a major challenge ahead.