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

Different Fortunes from Previous Campaign

Last season, a battling comeback from 2-1 down to a narrow win over Bayern in their final group game avenged their heavy defeat to the Bavarian side and kickstarted their remarkable journey to the championship match. It marked a pivotal moment in their season, showing a resilience that propelled them to a European triumph. Their collapse here demonstrated they are yet to recapture the spirit that led to victory in May.

Fan Support in Germany

More than 400 Arsenal fans had traveled to Munich, many gathering at the city's famous beer hall 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 created an atmosphere, competing with the impressive home crowd of over 15,000 that brought the noise in the stands below.

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 "devastated" by the outcome against the league leaders, with questionable refereeing decisions receiving much criticism of those disappointments.

The aim, though, was to channel the momentum 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 opened on the front foot. The England forward was particularly energetic and created difficulties for the Bayern defender Franziska Kett and the midfielder 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 early stages, the England forward's shot strangely pushed away 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 insistence on building from defense had been dangerous and was capitalized on. Mead cut out Stine Ballisager's stray pass and passed to the Swedish striker, who directed it towards Mariona Caldentey on the penalty area. The mercurial midfielder took a touch to alleviate pressure from the defender before driving past Grohs.

After Break Collapse

The energy lessened a little in the second half. José Barcala made substitutions 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, entered and Arianna Caruso and Turkish talent arrived soon after. The final substitute would make Arsenal sweat first, sprinting forward and receiving from Klara Bühl before guiding the ball past Van Domselaar.

Total Turnaround

It was Bayern in the driving seat after the gap narrowed, the home team believing they could get a result from the game. Harder produced, clipping a looping ball in from the edge of the area to equalize. They did not just want to draw, though: they wanted it all, and six minutes later they had the lead, Glodis Viggosdottir turning in at the near post from Bühl's cross. 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.