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Arsenal needed a strong performance and favorable result against a continental giant, but Renée Slegers’s side relinquished their two-goal lead and the victory to Bayern Munich far too easily, casting their European campaign into difficult waters.

Contrasting Fortunes from Previous Campaign

In the previous campaign, a battling comeback from 2-1 down to a 3-2 victory over Bayern in their last group stage match avenged their heavy defeat to the German opponents and kickstarted their remarkable journey to the final. It represented a pivotal moment in their season, demonstrating a mental toughness that carried them to a European triumph. Their breakdown here showed they are yet to recapture the spirit that ensured success in May.

Fan Support in Munich

Over four hundred Arsenal fans had traveled to Munich, many gathering at the Hofbräuhaus before the game for their traditional gathering. They were placed in a section of the middle tier at the Allianz Arena, but still created an atmosphere, competing with the vocal local supporters of over 15,000 that brought the noise in the lower tier.

Building on Recent Form

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 questionable refereeing decisions receiving much criticism of those disappointments.

The aim, though, was to channel the momentum of that strong performance after halftime to Germany with them. Arsenal had started slowly against Chelsea. In Munich they stuck to the plan and there was no repeat of that sluggish beginning.

Strong Start for Arsenal

They started aggressively. The England forward was particularly energetic and created difficulties for the Bayern defender Franziska Kett and the midfielder 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 striker's effort unusually parried by the Bayern goalkeeper, the German shot-stopper. The midfielder was there to nod the ball back over the goalkeeper and in.

Doubling the Advantage

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 the Spanish midfielder on the edge of the box. The mercurial midfielder took a touch to alleviate pressure from Tanikawa before lashing past the goalkeeper.

After Break 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 former Chelsea forward Danish international, whose three goals in October 2024 took the game from 2-2 to 5-2, entered and Arianna Caruso and Turkish talent followed shortly. The final substitute would make Arsenal sweat first, sprinting forward and collecting from German winger before directing the ball past the Arsenal keeper.

Total Comeback

It was Bayern in the ascendancy after the deficit was reduced, the home team sensing they could take something from the game. Harder produced, clipping a looping ball in from the penalty box to level. They did not just want to draw, though: they wanted everything, and shortly after they had the advantage, Icelandic defender 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 big job ahead.