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The London side required a impressive display and positive outcome against a continental giant, but Renée Slegers’s side relinquished 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 a goal behind to a narrow win over Bayern in their last group stage match made up for their opening 5-2 loss to the German opponents and ignited their phenomenal run to the championship match. It represented a pivotal moment in their season, showing a resilience that carried them to a European triumph. Their breakdown here demonstrated they are yet to recapture the spirit that led to victory in May.

Travelling Supporters in Germany

Over four hundred Arsenal fans had made the trip to Munich, many gathering at the Hofbräuhaus before the game for their pre-match meet-up. They were shoved into a corner of the middle tier at the Allianz Arena, but still created an atmosphere, competing with the impressive home crowd of over 15,000 that made their presence felt in the lower tier.

Building on Recent Form

The Arsenal goalkeeper had said her team had "showed everything we had" in their hard-fought tie with Chelsea on Saturday. They were "deeply disappointed" by the result against the WSL champions, with questionable refereeing decisions receiving much criticism of those disappointments.

The goal, though, was to take the energy of that impressive second-half display to Germany with them. Arsenal had begun poorly against Chelsea. In Munich they executed their strategy and there was no repetition of that sluggish beginning.

Strong Start for Visitors

They started aggressively. The England forward was particularly energetic and created difficulties for the Bayern full-back their left-back and the central player Japanese international on the right as Arsenal's high and aggressive pressing proved effective.

It was the forward's attempt that gave Arsenal the advantage in the early stages, the striker's effort unusually parried by the Bayern goalkeeper, Maria Luisa Grohs. Fox was there to head it back over the keeper and in.

Doubling the Advantage

Arsenal's second goal arrived midway through the half. Bayern's determination to play out from the back had been dangerous and was capitalized on. The winger intercepted the defender's wayward ball and laid off to the Swedish striker, who directed it towards Mariona Caldentey on the edge of the box. The mercurial midfielder took a control to alleviate pressure from Tanikawa before lashing past Grohs.

Second Half Turnaround

The energy lessened a little in the second half. The Bayern coach made substitutions to try to bring his side into the game: the former Chelsea forward Danish international, whose three goals in October 2024 took the game from 2-2 to 5-2, came on and Italian midfielder and Turkish talent followed shortly. The last of these would cause problems first, sprinting forward and collecting from Klara Bühl before guiding the ball past the Arsenal keeper.

Complete Turnaround

It was Bayern in the ascendancy after the gap narrowed, the hosts believing they could take something from the game. The substitute produced, clipping a looping ball in from the penalty box to level. They did not just want to take something, though: they wanted everything, and six minutes later they had the advantage, Glodis Viggosdottir scoring at the front post from Bühl's cross. This time it was a poor finish that disappointed Arsenal and, with one win from their European matches, they have a major challenge ahead.