🔗 Share this article

Arsenal needed a impressive display and positive result against a European powerhouse, but the team relinquished their two-goal lead and the victory to Bayern Munich with little resistance, plunging their European campaign into difficult waters.

Different 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 Bavarian side and ignited their phenomenal run to the championship match. It marked a turning point in their season, demonstrating a resilience that carried them to a European triumph. Their collapse here demonstrated they are yet to recapture the spirit that ensured success in May.

Fan Support in Germany

More than 400 Arsenal fans had made the trip to Munich, many gathering at the Hofbräuhaus before the game for their pre-match meet-up. They were placed in a section of the upper level at the Allianz Arena, but still made their voices heard, competing with the impressive home crowd of over 15,000 that brought the noise in the lower tier.

Building on Recent Form

The Arsenal goalkeeper had stated her team had "given their all" in their hard-fought tie with Chelsea on Saturday. They were "devastated" by the result against the league leaders, with controversial officiating bearing the brunt 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 Visitors

They started aggressively. The England forward was particularly energetic and created difficulties 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 England forward's shot strangely pushed away by the Bayern goalkeeper, the German shot-stopper. 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 insistence on building from defense had been risky and was exploited. Mead intercepted Stine Ballisager's stray pass and passed to the Swedish striker, who directed it towards the Spanish midfielder on the edge of the box. The mercurial midfielder took a control to create space from the defender before driving past Grohs.

Second Half Turnaround

The intensity dropped a little in the second half. The Bayern coach turned to his bench to try to get his team back into the game: the ex-London striker Pernille Harder, whose three goals in October 2024 turned the match from 2-2 to 5-2, entered and Arianna Caruso and Turkish talent followed shortly. The last of these would make Arsenal sweat first, flying away on the break and receiving from Klara Bühl before guiding the ball past the Arsenal keeper.

Total Turnaround

It was Bayern in the driving seat after the gap narrowed, the hosts believing they could take something from the game. Harder produced, floating a cross in from the edge of the area to equalize. They did not just want to take something, though: they wanted it all, and six minutes later they had the advantage, Icelandic defender turning in 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.