🔗 Share this article

The London side required a strong display and positive result against a continental giant, but Renée Slegers’s side relinquished their 2-0 advantage and the victory to Bayern Munich far too easily, casting their Champions League defence into difficult waters.

Different Fortunes from Last Season

In the previous campaign, a battling comeback from 2-1 down to a 3-2 victory over Bayern in their last group stage match made up for their heavy defeat to the German opponents and ignited their remarkable journey to the final. It marked a pivotal moment in their season, demonstrating a resilience that propelled them to a second Champions League title. Their breakdown here demonstrated they are yet to recapture the spirit that led to victory in May.

Fan Support in Munich

More than 400 Arsenal fans had traveled to Munich, many gathering at the Hofbräuhaus 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 made their voices heard, battling against 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 said her team had "given their all" in their 1-1 draw with Chelsea on Saturday. They were "devastated" by the outcome against the league leaders, with questionable refereeing decisions receiving much criticism of those frustrations.

The goal, though, was to channel the momentum of that strong performance after halftime to Germany with them. Arsenal had begun poorly against Chelsea. In Munich they stuck to the plan and there was no repetition of that slow start.

Strong Start 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 central player Japanese international on the right as Arsenal's intense pressure proved effective.

It was the forward's attempt that ensured Arsenal took the lead in the early stages, the England forward's shot unusually parried by the Bayern goalkeeper, Maria Luisa Grohs. Fox was there to nod the ball back over the goalkeeper and in.

Doubling the Advantage

Arsenal's next score arrived midway through the half. Bayern's insistence on building from defense had been risky and was capitalized on. Mead intercepted the defender's wayward ball and passed to Stina Blackstenius, who directed it towards Mariona Caldentey on the penalty area. The mercurial midfielder took a touch to create space from the defender before lashing past Grohs.

After Break Turnaround

The energy dropped a little in the second half. José Barcala turned to his bench to try to get his team back into the game: the former Chelsea forward Pernille Harder, whose hat-trick in October 2024 took the game from 2-2 to 5-2, entered and Italian midfielder and Turkish talent followed shortly. The final substitute would make Arsenal sweat first, sprinting forward and collecting from Klara Bühl before directing the ball past Van Domselaar.

Total Comeback

It was Bayern in the ascendancy after the gap narrowed, the hosts believing they could get a result from the game. Harder delivered, floating a cross in from the edge of the area 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 near post from Bühl's cross. This time it was a poor finish that let down Arsenal and, with a single victory from three Champions League games, they have a big job ahead.