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Arsenal needed a strong display and favorable result against a European powerhouse, but the team relinquished their two-goal lead and all three points to Bayern Munich far too easily, casting their European campaign into tricky waters.

Different Fortunes from Previous Campaign

In the previous campaign, a battling comeback from a goal behind to a 3-2 victory over Bayern in their last group stage match 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 propelled them to a European triumph. Their breakdown here showed they are yet to recapture the fighting spirit that led to victory in May.

Fan Support in Munich

Over four hundred Arsenal fans had traveled to Munich, many gathering at the city's famous beer hall before the game for their traditional gathering. They were shoved into a corner 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 brought the noise in the stands below.

Learning from Recent Form

The Arsenal goalkeeper had stated her team had "showed everything we had" in their 1-1 draw with Chelsea on Saturday. They were "devastated" by the result against the WSL champions, with controversial officiating bearing the brunt of those frustrations.

The aim, 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.

Fast Beginning for Arsenal

They opened on the front foot. Beth Mead was especially lively and created difficulties for the Bayern defender their left-back and the midfielder Momoko Tanikawa 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 strangely pushed away by the Bayern goalkeeper, the German shot-stopper. The midfielder was there to head it back over the goalkeeper and in.

Extending the Advantage

Arsenal's next score arrived midway through the half. Bayern's determination to play out from the back had been risky and was capitalized on. The winger cut out the defender's wayward ball and laid off to the Swedish striker, who poked it towards Mariona Caldentey on the penalty area. The talented playmaker took a touch to create space from the defender before lashing past Grohs.

Second Half Turnaround

The energy lessened a little in the final period. The Bayern coach turned to his bench to try to bring his side into the game: the ex-London striker Pernille Harder, whose three goals in October 2024 took the game from 2-2 to 5-2, entered and Arianna Caruso and Alara Sehitler arrived soon after. The last of these would make Arsenal sweat first, flying away on the break and receiving from Klara Bühl before guiding the ball past Van Domselaar.

Total Comeback

It was Bayern in the ascendancy after the deficit was reduced, the hosts sensing they could get a result from the game. Harder delivered, clipping a cross in from the edge of the area to level. They did not just want to draw, though: they wanted everything, and six minutes later they had the lead, Icelandic defender 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 three Champions League games, they have a major challenge ahead.