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Arsenal required a strong performance and positive result against a continental giant, but the team surrendered their two-goal lead and all three points to Bayern Munich far too easily, plunging their Champions League defence into difficult waters.

Different Outcomes from Last Season

Last season, a battling comeback from a goal behind to a 3-2 victory over Bayern in their last group stage match made up for their opening 5-2 loss to the German opponents and ignited their remarkable journey to the final. It marked a pivotal moment in their season, showing a resilience that carried them to a second Champions League title. Their breakdown here demonstrated they are still searching for the fighting spirit that ensured success in May.

Fan Support in Germany

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 corner of the upper level at the Allianz Arena, but still created an atmosphere, competing with the impressive home crowd of over 15,000 that brought the noise in the lower tier.

Building on Recent Form

Daphne van Domselaar had said her team had "showed everything we had" in their hard-fought tie with Chelsea on Saturday. They were "deeply disappointed" by the result against the WSL champions, with controversial officiating receiving much criticism of those disappointments.

The aim, though, was to channel the momentum of that impressive second-half display to Germany with them. Arsenal had begun poorly against Chelsea. In Munich they executed their strategy and there was no repeat of that slow start.

Strong Start for Arsenal

They started aggressively. The England forward was particularly energetic and created difficulties for the Bayern defender Franziska Kett and the central player Japanese international 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 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 Lead

Arsenal's next score arrived in the 23rd minute. Bayern's insistence on building from defense had been risky and was exploited. Mead intercepted Stine Ballisager's stray pass and passed to Stina Blackstenius, who poked it towards the Spanish midfielder on the edge of the box. The talented playmaker took a control to alleviate pressure from Tanikawa before lashing past Grohs.

After Break Turnaround

The intensity dropped a little in the second half. The Bayern coach 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, came on and Arianna Caruso and Turkish talent followed shortly. The final substitute would cause problems first, sprinting forward and receiving from Klara Bühl before guiding the ball past Van Domselaar.

Complete Turnaround

It was Bayern in the driving seat after the deficit was reduced, the home team believing they could get a result from the game. Harder delivered, clipping a looping ball in from the edge of the area to level. They did not just want to draw, though: they wanted it all, and shortly after they had the advantage, Icelandic defender scoring at the near post from Bühl's cross. This time it was a sluggish end that disappointed Arsenal and, with one win from their European matches, they have a big job ahead.