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Arsenal needed a strong display and favorable outcome against a European powerhouse, but the team surrendered their 2-0 advantage and the victory to Bayern Munich far too easily, casting their European campaign into tricky waters.

Contrasting Fortunes from Previous Campaign

Last season, a inspiring fightback from 2-1 down to a 3-2 victory over Bayern in their final group game made up for their opening 5-2 loss to the Bavarian side and ignited their remarkable journey to the championship match. It represented a turning point in their season, demonstrating a resilience that propelled them to a second Champions League title. Their collapse here demonstrated they are yet to recapture the fighting spirit that led to victory in May.

Fan Support in Germany

Over four hundred Arsenal fans had made the trip to Munich, many filing into the Hofbräuhaus before the game for their traditional gathering. They were shoved into a section of the middle tier at the Allianz Arena, but still made their voices heard, battling against the vocal local supporters of over 15,000 that brought the noise in the lower tier.

Building on Recent Form

Daphne van Domselaar had said her team had "given their all" 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 frustrations.

The goal, 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 repetition of that slow start.

Fast Beginning for Visitors

They started aggressively. Beth Mead was especially lively and caused problems for the Bayern defender Franziska Kett and the central player Japanese international on the right as Arsenal's intense pressure proved effective.

It was Mead's effort that ensured Arsenal took the lead in the fifth minute, the England forward's shot unusually parried by the Bayern goalkeeper, Maria Luisa Grohs. Fox was there to head it back over the goalkeeper and in.

Extending the Advantage

Arsenal's second goal arrived in the 23rd minute. Bayern's determination to play out from the back had been dangerous and was capitalized on. The winger intercepted Stine Ballisager's stray pass and laid off to Stina Blackstenius, who poked it towards Mariona Caldentey on the edge of the box. The talented playmaker took a touch to alleviate pressure from Tanikawa before driving past Grohs.

Second Half Turnaround

The energy dropped a little in the second half. José Barcala turned to his bench to try to bring his side into the game: the former Chelsea forward Pernille Harder, whose three goals in October 2024 took the game from 2-2 to 5-2, entered and Italian midfielder and Turkish talent followed shortly. The last of these would cause problems first, flying away on the break and collecting from Klara Bühl before guiding the ball past Van Domselaar.

Complete 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 level. They did not just want to draw, though: they wanted it all, and six minutes later they had the advantage, Icelandic defender turning in at the near post from the winger's delivery. This time it was a sluggish end that let down Arsenal and, with a single victory from three Champions League games, they have a major challenge ahead.