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The London side required a impressive display and favorable outcome against a continental giant, but Renée Slegers’s side surrendered their 2-0 advantage and the victory to Bayern Munich with little resistance, plunging their European campaign into tricky waters.

Contrasting Outcomes from Last Season

Last season, a battling comeback from a goal behind to a narrow win over Bayern in their final group game made up for their opening 5-2 loss to the German opponents and ignited their remarkable journey to the final. It marked a turning point in their season, demonstrating a resilience that carried them to a European triumph. Their breakdown here demonstrated they are still searching for the spirit that led to victory in May.

Travelling Supporters in Germany

Over four hundred Arsenal fans had made the trip to Munich, many filing into the Hofbräuhaus before the game for their pre-match meet-up. They were shoved into a section of the upper level at the Allianz Arena, but still created an atmosphere, battling against the impressive home crowd of over 15,000 that made their presence felt in the stands below.

Learning from Recent Form

The Arsenal goalkeeper had said her team had "showed everything we had" in their 1-1 draw with Chelsea on Saturday. They were "devastated" by the result against the league leaders, with controversial officiating receiving much criticism of those frustrations.

The aim, though, was to take the energy of that impressive second-half display to Germany with them. Arsenal had started slowly against Chelsea. In Munich they stuck to the plan and there was no repetition of that sluggish beginning.

Strong Start for Arsenal

They opened on the front foot. 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 strangely pushed away by the Bayern goalkeeper, the German shot-stopper. Fox was there to nod the ball back over the keeper and in.

Doubling the Advantage

Arsenal's next score arrived midway through the half. Bayern's determination to play out from the back had been dangerous and was capitalized on. Mead intercepted Stine Ballisager's stray pass and passed to Stina Blackstenius, who directed it towards the Spanish midfielder on the edge of the box. The mercurial midfielder took a touch to create space from the defender before lashing past the goalkeeper.

Second Half Turnaround

The intensity lessened a little in the second half. José Barcala made substitutions to try to get his team back into the game: the ex-London striker Danish international, whose hat-trick in October 2024 took the game from 2-2 to 5-2, entered and Italian midfielder and Turkish talent arrived soon after. The final substitute would cause problems first, sprinting forward and receiving from German winger before directing the ball past Van Domselaar.

Complete Comeback

It was Bayern in the driving seat after the deficit was reduced, the home team believing they could get a result from the game. The substitute produced, floating a cross in from the penalty box to equalize. They did not just want to draw, though: they wanted it all, and six minutes later they had the lead, Icelandic defender scoring at the near post from the winger's delivery. This time it was a sluggish end that disappointed Arsenal and, with a single victory from their European matches, they have a big job ahead.