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The London side required a strong display and favorable result against a European powerhouse, but Renée Slegers’s side surrendered their two-goal lead and the victory to Bayern Munich far too easily, plunging their European campaign into tricky waters.

Contrasting Outcomes from Previous Campaign

In the previous campaign, a battling comeback from 2-1 down to a 3-2 victory over Bayern in their final group game avenged their opening 5-2 loss to the German opponents and kickstarted their remarkable journey to the championship match. It marked a pivotal moment in their season, demonstrating a mental toughness that carried them to a European triumph. Their breakdown here showed they are still searching for the spirit that led to victory in May.

Fan Support in Munich

More than 400 Arsenal fans had made the trip to Munich, many filing into the city's famous beer hall before the game for their traditional gathering. They were shoved into a section of the middle tier at the Allianz Arena, but still made their voices heard, competing with the vocal local supporters of over 15,000 that made their presence felt in the stands below.

Building on Previous Performance

Daphne van Domselaar had stated her team had "showed everything we had" in their hard-fought tie with Chelsea on Saturday. They were "devastated" by the result against the WSL champions, with questionable refereeing decisions bearing the brunt of those disappointments.

The goal, 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.

Fast Beginning for Visitors

They started aggressively. 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 intense pressure reaped its rewards.

It was Mead's effort that ensured Arsenal took the lead in the fifth minute, the England forward's shot strangely pushed away by the Bayern goalkeeper, the German shot-stopper. The midfielder was there to head it back over the keeper and in.

Doubling the Lead

Arsenal's second goal arrived midway through the half. Bayern's determination to play out from the back had been dangerous and was exploited. Mead cut out Stine Ballisager's stray pass and passed to Stina Blackstenius, who directed it towards the Spanish midfielder on the penalty area. The mercurial midfielder took a control to create space from the defender before driving past the goalkeeper.

Second Half Collapse

The intensity lessened a little in the second half. José Barcala turned to his bench to try to bring his side into the game: the former Chelsea forward Danish international, whose three goals in October 2024 turned the match from 2-2 to 5-2, came on and Italian midfielder and Turkish talent followed shortly. The last of these would cause problems first, sprinting forward and receiving from Klara Bühl before directing the ball past the Arsenal keeper.

Complete Turnaround

It was Bayern in the driving seat after the deficit was reduced, the home team sensing they could get a result from the game. The substitute produced, floating a cross 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 turning in at the front 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 major challenge ahead.