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The London side required a strong performance and favorable outcome against a continental giant, but the team relinquished their two-goal lead and all three points to Bayern Munich with little resistance, casting their Champions League defence into difficult waters.

Contrasting Fortunes from Last Season

In the previous campaign, a battling comeback from a goal behind to a 3-2 victory over Bayern in their final group game made up for their heavy defeat to the Bavarian side and kickstarted their phenomenal run to the final. It marked a pivotal moment in their season, showing a mental toughness that carried them to a European triumph. Their collapse here showed they are yet to recapture the fighting spirit that ensured success in May.

Travelling Supporters in Munich

Over four hundred Arsenal fans had made the trip to Munich, many gathering at the city's famous beer hall before the game for their pre-match meet-up. They were placed in a section of the upper level at the Allianz Arena, but still made their voices heard, battling against the vocal local supporters of over 15,000 that made their presence felt in the lower tier.

Learning from Previous Performance

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 league leaders, with controversial officiating bearing the brunt of those disappointments.

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.

Strong Start for Visitors

They opened on the front foot. The England forward was especially lively and caused problems for the Bayern defender Franziska Kett and the central player Momoko Tanikawa on the right as Arsenal's high and aggressive pressing reaped its rewards.

It was the forward's attempt that gave Arsenal the advantage in the early stages, 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 Lead

Arsenal's second goal arrived midway through the half. Bayern's determination to play out from the back had been risky and was capitalized on. The winger intercepted Stine Ballisager's stray pass and laid off to Stina Blackstenius, who directed it towards Mariona Caldentey on the penalty area. The talented playmaker took a control to alleviate pressure from Tanikawa before driving past the goalkeeper.

Second Half Turnaround

The energy dropped a little in the second half. José Barcala turned to his bench to try to get his team back into the game: the former Chelsea forward Danish international, 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 the Arsenal keeper.

Total Turnaround

It was Bayern in the ascendancy after the gap narrowed, the hosts believing they could get a result from the game. The substitute produced, clipping a looping ball in from the edge of the area to level. They did not just want to draw, though: they wanted everything, and six minutes later they had the lead, Icelandic defender turning in at the front post from the winger's delivery. This time it was a poor finish that disappointed Arsenal and, with one win from three Champions League games, they have a major challenge ahead.