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The London side needed a impressive display and favorable result against a European powerhouse, but Renée Slegers’s side relinquished their 2-0 advantage and all three points to Bayern Munich with little resistance, casting their Champions League defence into tricky waters.

Contrasting Outcomes from Last Season

Last season, a battling comeback from 2-1 down to a narrow win over Bayern in their last group stage match avenged their opening 5-2 loss to the German opponents and ignited their remarkable journey to the final. It represented a pivotal moment in their season, showing a resilience that propelled them to a European triumph. Their breakdown here demonstrated they are yet to recapture the fighting spirit that ensured success in May.

Travelling Supporters in Germany

More than 400 Arsenal fans had traveled to Munich, many filing into the Hofbräuhaus before the game for their pre-match meet-up. They were placed in a section of the upper level at the Allianz Arena, but still created an atmosphere, competing with the impressive home crowd of over 15,000 that brought the noise in the lower tier.

Learning from Recent Form

Daphne van Domselaar had stated 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 bearing the brunt of those disappointments.

The aim, though, was to channel the momentum of that impressive second-half display to Germany with them. Arsenal had started slowly against Chelsea. In Munich they executed their strategy and there was no repetition of that sluggish beginning.

Fast Beginning for Arsenal

They opened on the front foot. Beth Mead was especially lively and created difficulties for the Bayern full-back their left-back and the midfielder Japanese international on the right as Arsenal's high and aggressive pressing reaped its rewards.

It was the forward's attempt that gave Arsenal the advantage in the fifth minute, the England forward's shot 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 Advantage

Arsenal's next score arrived midway through the half. Bayern's determination to play out from the back had been dangerous and was exploited. Mead intercepted Stine Ballisager's stray pass and laid off to the Swedish striker, who poked it towards the Spanish midfielder on the edge of the box. The mercurial midfielder took a control to alleviate pressure from Tanikawa before driving past Grohs.

Second Half Turnaround

The energy dropped 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 three goals in October 2024 turned the match from 2-2 to 5-2, entered and Arianna Caruso and Turkish talent arrived soon after. The last of these would cause problems first, sprinting forward and collecting from Klara Bühl before guiding the ball past the Arsenal keeper.

Complete Comeback

It was Bayern in the ascendancy after the deficit was reduced, the home team sensing they could take something from the game. The substitute delivered, clipping a cross in from the edge of the area 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 near post from the winger's delivery. This time it was a sluggish end that disappointed Arsenal and, with a single victory from three Champions League games, they have a major challenge ahead.