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The London side needed a impressive display and positive outcome against a continental giant, but Renée Slegers’s side surrendered their 2-0 advantage and the victory to Bayern Munich far too easily, casting their European campaign into tricky waters.

Contrasting Outcomes from Previous Campaign

In the previous campaign, a battling comeback from 2-1 down to a 3-2 victory over Bayern in their final group game made up for their opening 5-2 loss to the Bavarian side and kickstarted their phenomenal run to the final. It represented a turning point in their season, showing a mental toughness that propelled them to a second Champions League title. Their breakdown here demonstrated they are still searching for the spirit that ensured success in May.

Fan Support in Munich

More than 400 Arsenal fans had traveled to Munich, many filing into the city's famous beer hall before the game for their traditional gathering. They were shoved into a section of the middle tier at the Allianz Arena, but still created an atmosphere, competing with the vocal local supporters of over 15,000 that brought the noise in the stands below.

Learning from Previous Performance

Daphne van Domselaar had stated her team had "given their all" in their hard-fought tie with Chelsea on Saturday. They were "deeply disappointed" by the result against the league leaders, with questionable refereeing decisions bearing the brunt 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 executed their strategy and there was no repeat of that slow start.

Strong Start for Visitors

They started aggressively. The England forward was especially lively and caused problems for the Bayern full-back Franziska Kett and the midfielder Momoko Tanikawa on the right as Arsenal's intense pressure proved effective.

It was the forward's attempt that ensured Arsenal took the lead in the fifth minute, the striker's effort unusually parried by the Bayern goalkeeper, Maria Luisa Grohs. Fox was there to head it back over the goalkeeper and in.

Doubling the Lead

Arsenal's next score arrived midway through the half. Bayern's determination to play out from the back had been risky and was exploited. The winger intercepted the defender's wayward ball and passed to the Swedish striker, who directed it towards the Spanish midfielder on the penalty area. The mercurial midfielder took a control to alleviate pressure from Tanikawa before driving past Grohs.

After Break Collapse

The intensity dropped a little in the final period. The Bayern coach turned to his bench to try to bring his side into the game: the former Chelsea forward Pernille Harder, whose three goals in October 2024 took the game from 2-2 to 5-2, entered and Arianna Caruso and Turkish talent arrived soon after. The final substitute would make Arsenal sweat first, sprinting forward and collecting from Klara Bühl before directing the ball past the Arsenal keeper.

Complete Comeback

It was Bayern in the driving seat after the gap narrowed, the hosts sensing they could take something from the game. The substitute delivered, floating a looping ball in from the penalty box to level. They did not just want to take something, though: they wanted it all, and shortly after 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 their European matches, they have a major challenge ahead.