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Arsenal needed a impressive performance and favorable outcome against a European powerhouse, but the team relinquished their 2-0 advantage and the victory to Bayern Munich far too easily, plunging their Champions League defence into tricky waters.

Contrasting Fortunes from Last Season

Last season, a battling comeback from a goal behind to a 3-2 victory over Bayern in their final group game avenged their opening 5-2 loss to the Bavarian side and kickstarted their remarkable journey to the final. It marked a pivotal moment in their season, showing a resilience that propelled them to a European triumph. 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 made the trip to Munich, many gathering at the Hofbräuhaus before the game for their traditional gathering. They were placed in a corner of the middle tier at the Allianz Arena, but still made their voices heard, competing with the impressive home crowd of over 15,000 that made their presence felt in the lower tier.

Building on Recent Form

Daphne van Domselaar had said 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 disappointments.

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 sluggish beginning.

Strong Start for Arsenal

They started aggressively. The England forward was especially lively and created difficulties for the Bayern defender their left-back and the central player Momoko Tanikawa on the right as Arsenal's intense pressure reaped its rewards.

It was Mead's effort that gave Arsenal the advantage in the early stages, the striker's effort unusually parried by the Bayern goalkeeper, Maria Luisa Grohs. The midfielder was there to head it back over the keeper and in.

Extending the Advantage

Arsenal's second goal arrived midway through the half. Bayern's insistence on building from defense had been risky and was capitalized on. The winger cut out Stine Ballisager's stray pass and passed to the Swedish striker, who directed it towards the Spanish midfielder on the edge of the box. The mercurial midfielder took a control to create space from the defender before driving past Grohs.

Second Half Collapse

The energy dropped a little in the second half. José Barcala made substitutions to try to get his team back into the game: the former Chelsea forward Pernille Harder, whose three goals in October 2024 took the game from 2-2 to 5-2, entered and Italian midfielder and Alara Sehitler arrived soon after. The last of these would cause problems first, flying away on the break and collecting from Klara Bühl before guiding the ball past the Arsenal keeper.

Complete Turnaround

It was Bayern in the driving seat after the deficit was reduced, the hosts believing they could get a result from the game. Harder delivered, clipping a looping ball in from the edge of the area 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 scoring 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.