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Arsenal required a strong performance and favorable outcome against a continental giant, but the team relinquished their two-goal lead and all three points to Bayern Munich with little resistance, plunging their European campaign into tricky waters.

Contrasting Fortunes from Last Season

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 heavy defeat to the German opponents and kickstarted their remarkable journey to the championship match. It marked a turning point in their season, showing a resilience that propelled them to a second Champions League title. Their breakdown here demonstrated they are still searching for the fighting spirit that led to victory in May.

Travelling Supporters in Munich

Over four hundred Arsenal fans had made the trip to Munich, many gathering at the city's famous beer hall before the game for their pre-match meet-up. They were placed in a corner 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 brought the noise in the stands below.

Building on Previous Performance

The Arsenal goalkeeper had stated her team had "given their all" in their hard-fought tie with Chelsea on Saturday. They were "deeply disappointed" by the outcome against the WSL champions, with controversial officiating bearing the brunt of those frustrations.

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 repeat of that slow start.

Strong Start for Visitors

They opened on the front foot. The England forward was particularly energetic and caused problems for the Bayern defender their left-back and the midfielder Momoko Tanikawa on the right as Arsenal's high and aggressive pressing 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. The midfielder was there to nod the ball back over the goalkeeper and in.

Doubling the Advantage

Arsenal's second goal arrived in the 23rd minute. Bayern's insistence on building from defense had been risky and was exploited. Mead cut out the defender's wayward ball and passed to the Swedish striker, who poked it towards the Spanish midfielder on the edge of the box. The talented playmaker took a control to alleviate pressure from Tanikawa before lashing past the goalkeeper.

After Break Turnaround

The intensity dropped a little in the second half. José Barcala turned to his bench to try to get his team back into the game: the former Chelsea forward Danish international, whose three goals in October 2024 took the game from 2-2 to 5-2, entered and Arianna Caruso and Alara Sehitler arrived soon after. The last of these would make Arsenal sweat first, sprinting forward and collecting from Klara Bühl before guiding the ball past Van Domselaar.

Complete Comeback

It was Bayern in the driving seat after the deficit was reduced, the hosts believing they could take something from the game. Harder delivered, clipping a cross 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 advantage, Glodis Viggosdottir scoring at the near post from Bühl's cross. This time it was a sluggish end that let down Arsenal and, with a single victory from three Champions League games, they have a big job ahead.