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Arsenal required a impressive display and favorable outcome against a continental giant, but the team relinquished their 2-0 advantage and the victory to Bayern Munich with little resistance, casting their Champions League defence into tricky waters.

Contrasting Outcomes from Last Season

In the previous campaign, a inspiring fightback from a goal behind to a narrow win over Bayern in their final group game avenged their heavy defeat to the German opponents and kickstarted their remarkable journey to the championship match. It marked a pivotal moment in their season, demonstrating a resilience that carried them to a second Champions League title. Their breakdown here demonstrated they are yet to recapture the fighting spirit that led to victory in May.

Fan Support in Germany

More than 400 Arsenal fans had traveled to Munich, many filing into the Hofbräuhaus before the game for their pre-match meet-up. They were shoved into a section of the upper level at the Allianz Arena, but still created an atmosphere, battling against the vocal local supporters of over 15,000 that brought the noise in the lower tier.

Building on Previous Performance

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 take the energy of that strong performance after halftime to Germany with them. Arsenal had started slowly against Chelsea. In Munich they executed their strategy and there was no repetition of that sluggish beginning.

Fast Beginning for Arsenal

They started aggressively. The England forward was especially lively and caused problems for the Bayern defender Franziska Kett and the midfielder Japanese international on the right as Arsenal's high and aggressive pressing reaped its rewards.

It was the forward's attempt that ensured Arsenal took the lead in the early stages, 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.

Doubling the Advantage

Arsenal's next score arrived in the 23rd minute. Bayern's insistence on building from defense had been dangerous and was capitalized on. Mead intercepted Stine Ballisager's stray pass and passed to Stina Blackstenius, who poked it towards the Spanish midfielder on the penalty area. The mercurial midfielder took a touch to create space from Tanikawa before lashing past the goalkeeper.

Second Half Collapse

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 former Chelsea forward Pernille Harder, whose hat-trick in October 2024 took the game from 2-2 to 5-2, entered and Arianna Caruso and Turkish talent arrived soon after. The last of these 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 driving seat after the gap narrowed, the hosts sensing they could take something from the game. Harder delivered, floating a looping ball in from the penalty box to equalize. They did not just want to take something, though: they wanted everything, and shortly after they had the lead, Glodis Viggosdottir turning in at the near post from Bühl's cross. This time it was a poor finish that disappointed Arsenal and, with one win from three Champions League games, they have a major challenge ahead.