🔗 Share this article

Arsenal required a strong performance and positive result against a continental giant, but Renée Slegers’s side relinquished their 2-0 advantage and all three points to Bayern Munich far too easily, casting their Champions League defence into tricky waters.

Contrasting Outcomes from Last Season

In the previous campaign, 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 phenomenal run to the final. It marked a turning point in their season, demonstrating a resilience that propelled them to a European triumph. Their breakdown here demonstrated they are yet to recapture the fighting spirit that led to victory in May.

Travelling Supporters in Munich

Over four hundred Arsenal fans had traveled to Munich, many gathering at the Hofbräuhaus before the game for their traditional gathering. They were placed in 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 lower tier.

Learning from Recent Form

The Arsenal goalkeeper had said her team had "given their all" in their 1-1 draw with Chelsea on Saturday. They were "deeply disappointed" by the result against the WSL champions, with controversial officiating bearing the brunt of those disappointments.

The aim, though, was to take the energy 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 repetition of that slow start.

Fast Beginning for Visitors

They started aggressively. Beth Mead was especially lively and created difficulties for the Bayern full-back Franziska Kett and the central player Japanese international on the right as Arsenal's intense pressure proved effective.

It was the forward's attempt that gave Arsenal the advantage in the fifth minute, the striker's effort strangely pushed away by the Bayern goalkeeper, Maria Luisa Grohs. The midfielder was there to head it 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. The winger intercepted Stine Ballisager's stray pass and laid off to Stina Blackstenius, who directed it towards the Spanish midfielder on the edge of the box. The talented playmaker took a control to create space from Tanikawa before driving past Grohs.

After Break Collapse

The intensity dropped a little in the second half. The Bayern coach 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 Turkish talent arrived soon after. The last of these would cause problems first, flying away on the break and collecting from German winger before guiding the ball past Van Domselaar.

Total Turnaround

It was Bayern in the ascendancy after the deficit was reduced, the hosts sensing they could get a result from the game. The substitute delivered, clipping a looping ball in from the edge of the area to level. They did not just want to draw, though: they wanted it all, and six minutes later they had the lead, 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.