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Arsenal needed 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 with little resistance, casting their Champions League defence into difficult waters.

Different Outcomes from Previous Campaign

In the previous campaign, a inspiring fightback from 2-1 down to a narrow win over Bayern in their last group stage match made up for their heavy defeat to the Bavarian side and ignited their phenomenal run to the championship match. It marked a turning point in their season, showing a resilience that propelled them to a second Champions League title. Their breakdown here showed they are still searching for the fighting spirit that ensured success in May.

Fan Support in Munich

Over four hundred Arsenal fans had made the trip to Munich, many filing into the Hofbräuhaus before the game for their traditional gathering. 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 made their presence felt in the lower tier.

Learning from Previous Performance

The Arsenal goalkeeper had said her team had "showed everything we had" in their 1-1 draw with Chelsea on Saturday. They were "deeply disappointed" by the outcome against the WSL champions, with questionable refereeing decisions receiving much criticism of those frustrations.

The goal, 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 Visitors

They opened on the front foot. The England forward was particularly energetic and caused problems for the Bayern defender Franziska Kett and the midfielder Momoko Tanikawa on the right as Arsenal's high and aggressive pressing 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, Maria Luisa Grohs. Fox was there to nod the ball back over the goalkeeper and in.

Doubling the Lead

Arsenal's next score arrived midway through the half. Bayern's determination to play out from the back had been risky and was exploited. Mead cut out Stine Ballisager's stray pass and laid off to the Swedish striker, who poked it towards Mariona Caldentey on the penalty area. The mercurial midfielder took a control to alleviate pressure from the defender before driving past Grohs.

After Break Collapse

The intensity dropped a little in the final period. José Barcala 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 followed shortly. The final substitute would cause problems first, flying away on the break and collecting 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 hosts believing they could take something from the game. The substitute produced, floating a cross in from the edge of the area to equalize. They did not just want to draw, though: they wanted everything, and six minutes later they had the lead, Glodis Viggosdottir scoring at the front post from the winger's delivery. This time it was a sluggish end that disappointed Arsenal and, with one win from their European matches, they have a major challenge ahead.