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The London side needed a impressive display and favorable result against a European powerhouse, but the team relinquished their two-goal lead and the victory to Bayern Munich with little resistance, casting their Champions League defence into tricky waters.

Different Fortunes from Last Season

Last season, 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 final. It marked a pivotal moment in their season, showing a mental toughness that carried them to a European triumph. Their collapse here demonstrated 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 gathering at 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, competing with the impressive home crowd of over 15,000 that made their presence felt in the lower tier.

Learning from Previous Performance

The Arsenal goalkeeper had stated 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 league leaders, 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 repeat of that sluggish beginning.

Strong Start for Arsenal

They opened on the front foot. Beth Mead was especially lively and caused problems for the Bayern full-back Franziska Kett and the central player Momoko Tanikawa on the right as Arsenal's high and aggressive pressing reaped its rewards.

It was Mead's effort that gave Arsenal the advantage in the early stages, the England forward's shot strangely pushed away by the Bayern goalkeeper, the German shot-stopper. The midfielder was there to nod the ball back over the goalkeeper and in.

Extending the Advantage

Arsenal's next score arrived in the 23rd minute. Bayern's determination to play out from the back had been dangerous and was capitalized on. The winger intercepted Stine Ballisager's stray pass and passed to the Swedish striker, who directed it towards Mariona Caldentey on the edge of the box. The mercurial midfielder took a control to alleviate pressure from the defender before driving past the goalkeeper.

Second Half Collapse

The intensity dropped a little in the final period. José Barcala turned to his bench to try to get his team back 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 Italian midfielder and Turkish talent arrived soon after. The last of these would cause problems first, sprinting forward and receiving from German winger before directing the ball past the Arsenal keeper.

Complete Turnaround

It was Bayern in the ascendancy after the gap narrowed, the hosts believing they could get a result from the game. The substitute produced, floating a looping ball in from the edge of the area to equalize. They did not just want to draw, though: they wanted everything, and six minutes later they had the advantage, Icelandic defender turning in at the front 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.