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Arsenal required a strong performance and favorable outcome against a continental giant, but the team surrendered their 2-0 advantage and the victory to Bayern Munich with little resistance, plunging their European campaign into difficult waters.

Contrasting Outcomes from Last Season

Last season, a battling comeback from 2-1 down to a narrow win over Bayern in their final group game avenged their heavy defeat to the German opponents and kickstarted their phenomenal run to the championship match. It marked a turning point in their season, showing a mental toughness that carried them to a second Champions League title. Their collapse here demonstrated they are still searching for the fighting spirit that led to victory in May.

Fan Support in Munich

Over four hundred Arsenal fans had traveled to Munich, many filing into the city's famous beer hall before the game for their pre-match meet-up. They were placed in a corner 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 brought the noise in the lower tier.

Learning from Previous Performance

The Arsenal goalkeeper had stated her team had "given their all" in their hard-fought tie with Chelsea on Saturday. They were "deeply disappointed" by the outcome against the league leaders, with controversial officiating receiving much criticism of those disappointments.

The aim, though, was to take the energy of that impressive second-half display to Germany with them. Arsenal had started slowly against Chelsea. In Munich they stuck to the plan and there was no repetition of that sluggish beginning.

Fast Beginning for Visitors

They opened on the front foot. The England forward was especially lively and created difficulties for the Bayern full-back their left-back and the midfielder 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 fifth minute, the striker's effort strangely pushed away by the Bayern goalkeeper, the German shot-stopper. Fox 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 dangerous and was exploited. The winger intercepted the defender's wayward ball and passed to the Swedish striker, who directed it towards Mariona Caldentey on the edge of the box. The mercurial midfielder took a touch to alleviate pressure from the defender before lashing past Grohs.

Second Half Collapse

The intensity dropped a little in the second half. The Bayern coach made substitutions to try to bring his side into the game: the ex-London striker Pernille Harder, whose hat-trick in October 2024 took the game from 2-2 to 5-2, entered and Italian midfielder and Alara Sehitler arrived soon after. The final substitute 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 ascendancy after the deficit was reduced, the home team believing they could take something from the game. Harder delivered, clipping a looping ball in from the penalty box to level. They did not just want to take something, though: they wanted it all, and six minutes later they had the lead, Glodis Viggosdottir scoring at the near post from Bühl's cross. This time it was a sluggish end that let down Arsenal and, with one win from their European matches, they have a major challenge ahead.