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

Contrasting Fortunes from Previous Campaign

Last season, a battling comeback from 2-1 down to a narrow win over Bayern in their last group stage match avenged their opening 5-2 loss to the Bavarian side and kickstarted their phenomenal run 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 still searching for the fighting spirit that led to victory in May.

Travelling Supporters in Germany

Over four hundred Arsenal fans had made the trip to Munich, many filing into the Hofbräuhaus before the game for their pre-match meet-up. They were shoved into a corner of the upper level at the Allianz Arena, but still made their voices heard, battling against the impressive home crowd of over 15,000 that made their presence felt in the lower tier.

Building on Previous Performance

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 goal, though, was to channel the momentum 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 repeat of that sluggish beginning.

Fast Beginning for Arsenal

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 high and aggressive pressing proved effective.

It was the forward's attempt 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. The midfielder was there to nod the ball 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 risky and was capitalized on. The winger cut out Stine Ballisager's stray pass and passed to Stina Blackstenius, who poked it towards the Spanish midfielder on the edge of the box. The mercurial midfielder took a touch to create space from the defender before lashing past the goalkeeper.

After Break Collapse

The energy lessened a little in the final period. José Barcala turned to his bench 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, came on and Arianna Caruso and Alara Sehitler arrived soon after. The final substitute would cause problems first, flying away on the break and receiving from German winger before guiding the ball past Van Domselaar.

Complete Turnaround

It was Bayern in the driving seat after the gap narrowed, the hosts believing they could take something from the game. The substitute delivered, floating 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 front post from the winger's delivery. 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.