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The London side required a impressive performance and favorable result against a continental giant, but the team surrendered their two-goal lead and the victory to Bayern Munich far too easily, casting their Champions League defence into difficult waters.

Contrasting Outcomes from Last Season

Last season, a inspiring fightback from 2-1 down to a narrow win over Bayern in their last group stage match made up for their heavy defeat to the Bavarian side and kickstarted their remarkable journey to the championship match. It marked a pivotal moment in their season, demonstrating a mental toughness that propelled them to a second Champions League title. Their breakdown here showed they are yet to recapture the fighting spirit that ensured success in May.

Fan Support in Germany

More than 400 Arsenal fans had traveled to Munich, many gathering at the Hofbräuhaus before the game for their traditional gathering. They were placed in a section of the middle tier at the Allianz Arena, but still created an atmosphere, battling against the impressive home crowd of over 15,000 that brought the noise in the lower tier.

Building on Previous Performance

The Arsenal goalkeeper had said her team had "showed everything we had" in their 1-1 draw with Chelsea on Saturday. They were "devastated" by the outcome against the WSL champions, with controversial officiating bearing the brunt of those frustrations.

The aim, though, was to take the energy of that strong performance after halftime to Germany with them. Arsenal had started slowly against Chelsea. In Munich they stuck to the plan and there was no repetition of that slow start.

Strong Start for Arsenal

They started aggressively. The England forward was particularly energetic and created difficulties for the Bayern defender Franziska Kett and the central player Momoko Tanikawa on the right as Arsenal's high and aggressive pressing proved effective.

It was Mead's effort that ensured Arsenal took the lead in the fifth minute, the England forward's shot unusually parried by the Bayern goalkeeper, the German shot-stopper. The midfielder was there to nod the ball back over the goalkeeper and in.

Doubling the Lead

Arsenal's second goal arrived in the 23rd minute. Bayern's determination to play out from the back had been risky and was exploited. The winger cut out the defender's wayward ball and laid off to Stina Blackstenius, who poked it towards Mariona Caldentey on the edge of the box. The talented playmaker took a control to alleviate pressure from the defender before lashing past Grohs.

Second Half Turnaround

The energy 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 Danish international, whose hat-trick in October 2024 took the game from 2-2 to 5-2, came on and Arianna Caruso and Alara Sehitler 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 produced, floating a cross in from the edge of the area to equalize. They did not just want to take something, though: they wanted everything, 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 sluggish end that let down Arsenal and, with one win from their European matches, they have a big job ahead.