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The London side needed a impressive performance and favorable outcome against a continental giant, but the team relinquished their two-goal lead and the victory to Bayern Munich with little resistance, casting their Champions League defence into difficult waters.

Different Fortunes from Last Season

Last season, a battling comeback from 2-1 down to a narrow win over Bayern in their final group game avenged their opening 5-2 loss to the Bavarian side and ignited their remarkable journey to the final. It represented a turning point in their season, showing a mental toughness that carried them to a second Champions League title. Their breakdown here showed they are yet to recapture the spirit that led to victory in May.

Travelling Supporters in Munich

More than 400 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 corner 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 lower tier.

Learning from Recent Form

Daphne van Domselaar had stated 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 controversial officiating receiving much criticism of those disappointments.

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 sluggish beginning.

Fast Beginning for Visitors

They opened on the front foot. The England forward was especially lively and caused problems for the Bayern defender Franziska Kett and the central player Japanese international on the right as Arsenal's intense pressure proved effective.

It was Mead's effort that gave Arsenal the advantage in the early stages, the England forward's shot unusually parried by the Bayern goalkeeper, the German shot-stopper. Fox was there to nod the ball back over the goalkeeper and in.

Extending the Lead

Arsenal's next score arrived in the 23rd minute. Bayern's determination to play out from the back had been dangerous and was capitalized on. Mead cut out the defender's wayward ball and laid off to the Swedish striker, who directed it towards the Spanish midfielder on the penalty area. The mercurial midfielder took a touch to alleviate pressure from Tanikawa before lashing past Grohs.

After Break Collapse

The energy 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 three goals in October 2024 took the game from 2-2 to 5-2, entered and Italian midfielder and Alara Sehitler arrived soon after. The final substitute would cause problems first, sprinting forward and collecting from Klara Bühl before directing the ball past the Arsenal keeper.

Total Turnaround

It was Bayern in the driving seat after the gap narrowed, the home team believing they could get a result from the game. The substitute delivered, clipping a cross in from the penalty box to level. They did not just want to draw, though: they wanted everything, and six minutes later they had the advantage, Icelandic defender turning in at the front post from the winger's delivery. This time it was a poor finish that disappointed Arsenal and, with a single victory from three Champions League games, they have a big job ahead.