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The London side needed a impressive performance and positive result against a European powerhouse, but the team relinquished their two-goal lead and the victory to Bayern Munich with little resistance, plunging their European campaign into tricky waters.

Different Fortunes from Previous Campaign

Last season, a battling comeback from 2-1 down to a 3-2 victory over Bayern in their final group game made up for their opening 5-2 loss to the Bavarian side and kickstarted their phenomenal run to the championship match. It marked a turning point in their season, showing a mental toughness that propelled them to a European triumph. Their collapse here demonstrated they are yet to recapture the spirit that led to victory in May.

Travelling Supporters in Munich

Over four hundred Arsenal fans had traveled to Munich, many gathering at the city's famous beer hall before the game for their pre-match meet-up. They were shoved into a section of the middle tier at the Allianz Arena, but still created an atmosphere, battling against the vocal local supporters of over 15,000 that made their presence felt in the lower tier.

Learning from Previous Performance

Daphne van Domselaar had stated her team had "showed everything we had" in their 1-1 draw with Chelsea on Saturday. They were "devastated" by the outcome against the WSL champions, with controversial officiating bearing the brunt of those frustrations.

The aim, 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 repeat of that slow start.

Strong Start for Arsenal

They started aggressively. The England forward was especially lively and caused problems for the Bayern defender their left-back and the midfielder Momoko Tanikawa on the right as Arsenal's intense pressure proved effective.

It was the forward's attempt that gave Arsenal the advantage in the fifth minute, the striker's effort strangely pushed away by the Bayern goalkeeper, Maria Luisa Grohs. The midfielder was there to nod the ball back over the keeper and in.

Doubling the Advantage

Arsenal's second goal arrived in the 23rd minute. Bayern's insistence on building from defense had been dangerous and was capitalized on. The winger intercepted the defender's wayward ball and passed to the Swedish striker, who directed it towards Mariona Caldentey on the penalty area. The mercurial midfielder took a control to create space from the defender before lashing past the goalkeeper.

Second Half Turnaround

The energy dropped a little in the second half. The Bayern coach made substitutions to try to get his team back into the game: the ex-London striker Pernille Harder, whose hat-trick in October 2024 turned the match from 2-2 to 5-2, came on and Arianna Caruso and Turkish talent followed shortly. The last of these would cause problems first, flying away on the break and collecting from German winger before guiding the ball past the Arsenal keeper.

Total Comeback

It was Bayern in the driving seat after the gap narrowed, the home team sensing they could get a result from the game. Harder produced, clipping a looping ball in from the penalty box to equalize. They did not just want to take something, though: they wanted it all, and six minutes later they had the advantage, Glodis Viggosdottir turning in at the near post from the winger's delivery. This time it was a poor finish that disappointed Arsenal and, with one win from three Champions League games, they have a big job ahead.