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Arsenal needed a strong display and favorable outcome against a continental giant, but Renée Slegers’s side surrendered their two-goal lead and the victory to Bayern Munich with little resistance, plunging their European campaign into difficult waters.

Contrasting Fortunes from Last Season

Last season, a battling comeback from a goal behind to a narrow win over Bayern in their final group game made up for their opening 5-2 loss to the German opponents and kickstarted their remarkable journey to the final. It marked a turning point in their season, showing a resilience that carried them to a European triumph. Their breakdown here demonstrated they are still searching for the fighting spirit that ensured success in May.

Fan Support in Germany

More than 400 Arsenal fans had made the trip to Munich, many filing into the Hofbräuhaus before the game for their traditional gathering. 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 made their presence felt in the lower tier.

Learning from Recent Form

The Arsenal goalkeeper 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 receiving much criticism of those disappointments.

The goal, 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 stuck to the plan 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 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 the forward's attempt that ensured Arsenal took the lead in the fifth minute, the England forward's shot strangely pushed away by the Bayern goalkeeper, the German shot-stopper. Fox was there to nod the ball back over the goalkeeper and in.

Extending the Lead

Arsenal's next score arrived midway through the half. Bayern's insistence on building from defense had been risky and was capitalized on. Mead intercepted the defender's wayward ball and laid off to the Swedish striker, who poked it towards the Spanish midfielder on the edge of the box. The talented playmaker took a control to create space from Tanikawa before lashing past Grohs.

Second Half Turnaround

The energy dropped a little in the final period. José Barcala made substitutions to try to get his team back into the game: the former Chelsea forward Pernille Harder, whose hat-trick in October 2024 turned the match from 2-2 to 5-2, came on and Italian midfielder and Turkish talent arrived soon after. The last of these would make Arsenal sweat first, sprinting forward and collecting from Klara Bühl before guiding the ball past the Arsenal keeper.

Total Turnaround

It was Bayern in the driving seat after the deficit was reduced, the home team sensing they could take something from the game. Harder produced, clipping a cross in from the penalty box to equalize. They did not just want to draw, though: they wanted it all, and shortly after they had the lead, Glodis Viggosdottir scoring at the front post from Bühl's cross. This time it was a sluggish end that disappointed Arsenal and, with one win from three Champions League games, they have a major challenge ahead.