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Arsenal needed a strong display and positive result against a European powerhouse, but Renée Slegers’s side relinquished their 2-0 advantage and all three points to Bayern Munich with little resistance, plunging their Champions League defence into difficult waters.

Contrasting Outcomes from Last Season

In the previous campaign, 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 Bavarian side and kickstarted their phenomenal run to the championship match. It marked a pivotal moment in their season, demonstrating a mental toughness that carried them to a European triumph. Their breakdown here demonstrated they are still searching for the spirit that ensured success in May.

Fan Support in Munich

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 shoved into a corner of the middle tier at the Allianz Arena, but still created an atmosphere, competing with the vocal local supporters 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 hard-fought tie with Chelsea on Saturday. They were "deeply disappointed" by the outcome against the league leaders, with controversial officiating receiving much criticism of those disappointments.

The aim, though, was to take the energy of that strong performance after halftime to Germany with them. Arsenal had begun poorly against Chelsea. In Munich they stuck to the plan and there was no repeat of that slow start.

Fast Beginning for Arsenal

They started aggressively. Beth Mead was especially lively and caused problems for the Bayern full-back Franziska Kett and the central player Japanese international 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 unusually parried by the Bayern goalkeeper, the German shot-stopper. Fox was there to nod the ball back over the goalkeeper and in.

Doubling the Lead

Arsenal's second goal arrived in the 23rd minute. Bayern's determination to play out from the back had been dangerous and was exploited. The winger cut out the defender's wayward ball and laid off to Stina Blackstenius, who directed it towards Mariona Caldentey on the edge of the box. The mercurial midfielder took a touch to create space from Tanikawa before lashing past Grohs.

After Break Collapse

The intensity dropped a little in the final period. The Bayern coach made substitutions to try to bring his side into the game: the ex-London striker Danish international, whose three goals in October 2024 took the game from 2-2 to 5-2, came on and Italian midfielder and Alara Sehitler followed shortly. The last of these would cause problems first, sprinting forward and receiving from German winger before directing the ball past the Arsenal keeper.

Total Turnaround

It was Bayern in the driving seat after the deficit was reduced, the hosts sensing they could take something from the game. Harder produced, floating a looping ball in from the edge of the area to equalize. They did not just want to take something, though: they wanted everything, and six minutes later they had the lead, Icelandic defender turning in at the front post from Bühl's cross. This time it was a sluggish end that disappointed Arsenal and, with one win from their European matches, they have a big job ahead.