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The London side needed a impressive display and favorable outcome against a continental giant, but Renée Slegers’s side surrendered their 2-0 advantage and all three points to Bayern Munich far too easily, plunging their European campaign into difficult waters.

Different Fortunes from Previous Campaign

In the previous campaign, a inspiring fightback from 2-1 down 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 championship match. It represented a pivotal moment in their season, demonstrating a resilience that propelled them to a European triumph. Their collapse here showed they are yet to recapture the spirit that led to victory in May.

Fan Support in Germany

More than 400 Arsenal fans had traveled to Munich, many filing into the Hofbräuhaus before the game for their traditional gathering. They were shoved into a section of the middle tier at the Allianz Arena, but still made their voices heard, battling against the impressive home crowd of over 15,000 that made their presence felt in the lower tier.

Learning from Previous Performance

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 outcome against the league leaders, with questionable refereeing decisions bearing the brunt of those disappointments.

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 repeat of that sluggish beginning.

Strong Start for Visitors

They started aggressively. The England forward was especially lively and created difficulties for the Bayern full-back their left-back and the central player Momoko Tanikawa on the right as Arsenal's high and aggressive pressing reaped its rewards.

It was Mead's effort that ensured Arsenal took the lead in the early stages, the striker's effort strangely pushed away 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 dangerous and was capitalized on. Mead intercepted Stine Ballisager's stray pass and passed to the Swedish striker, who directed it towards Mariona Caldentey on the penalty area. The talented playmaker took a control to create space from the defender before lashing past Grohs.

Second Half Collapse

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 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 last of these would make Arsenal sweat first, sprinting forward and receiving from German winger before guiding the ball past the Arsenal keeper.

Total Comeback

It was Bayern in the driving seat after the deficit was reduced, the home team believing they could take something from the game. Harder delivered, floating a looping ball in from the penalty box to equalize. They did not just want to draw, though: they wanted everything, and six minutes later they had the advantage, Icelandic defender scoring 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 their European matches, they have a major challenge ahead.