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The London side required a strong performance and positive result against a continental giant, but Renée Slegers’s side surrendered their 2-0 advantage and the victory to Bayern Munich far too easily, plunging their Champions League defence into tricky waters.

Contrasting Fortunes from Last Season

In the previous campaign, a inspiring fightback from a goal behind to a narrow win over Bayern in their last group stage match avenged their heavy defeat to the Bavarian side and kickstarted their phenomenal run to the final. It marked a turning point in their season, showing a mental toughness that carried them to a European triumph. Their collapse here showed they are yet to recapture the spirit that ensured success in May.

Fan Support in Germany

Over four hundred Arsenal fans had traveled to Munich, many gathering at the Hofbräuhaus before the game for their pre-match meet-up. They were shoved into a section 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 stands below.

Building on Recent Form

Daphne van Domselaar had said her team had "given their all" in their 1-1 draw with Chelsea on Saturday. They were "devastated" 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 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.

Fast Beginning for Visitors

They started aggressively. The England forward was particularly energetic and created difficulties for the Bayern defender their left-back and the central player Japanese international on the right as Arsenal's intense pressure reaped its rewards.

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, the German shot-stopper. Fox was there to head it back over the goalkeeper and in.

Doubling the Advantage

Arsenal's next score arrived in the 23rd minute. Bayern's insistence on building from defense had been dangerous and was exploited. The winger cut out the defender's wayward ball and laid off to the Swedish striker, who poked it towards the Spanish midfielder on the penalty area. The mercurial midfielder took a touch to alleviate pressure from the defender before driving past the goalkeeper.

Second Half Collapse

The intensity lessened a little in the final period. José Barcala made substitutions to try to get his team back into the game: the ex-London striker 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, sprinting forward and receiving from German winger before directing the ball past Van Domselaar.

Complete Comeback

It was Bayern in the driving seat after the deficit was reduced, the home team sensing they could take something from the game. Harder delivered, clipping a cross in from the penalty box to level. They did not just want to draw, though: they wanted it all, and shortly after they had the lead, Glodis Viggosdottir turning in at the near post from the winger's delivery. This time it was a sluggish end that let down Arsenal and, with a single victory from three Champions League games, they have a major challenge ahead.