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Arsenal needed a impressive display and favorable outcome against a continental giant, but the team relinquished their two-goal lead and all three points to Bayern Munich far too easily, plunging their Champions League defence into tricky 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 final group game made up for their opening 5-2 loss to the German opponents and kickstarted their phenomenal run to the championship match. It represented a pivotal moment in their season, demonstrating a mental toughness that carried them to a European triumph. Their breakdown here showed they are still searching for the fighting spirit that led to victory in May.

Travelling Supporters in Munich

More than 400 Arsenal fans had traveled to Munich, many gathering at the city's famous beer hall before the game for their traditional gathering. They were placed in a section of the middle tier 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.

Learning from Previous Performance

Daphne van Domselaar had stated her team had "showed everything we had" in their 1-1 draw with Chelsea on Saturday. They were "deeply disappointed" by the outcome against the WSL champions, with questionable refereeing decisions receiving much criticism of those disappointments.

The aim, though, was to take the energy of that impressive second-half display to Germany with them. Arsenal had started slowly against Chelsea. In Munich they stuck to the plan and there was no repetition of that slow start.

Strong Start for Visitors

They started aggressively. The England forward was especially lively and created difficulties for the Bayern defender Franziska Kett and the midfielder Momoko Tanikawa on the right as Arsenal's intense pressure proved effective.

It was Mead's effort that ensured Arsenal took the lead in the early stages, the England forward's shot unusually parried by the Bayern goalkeeper, the German shot-stopper. The midfielder was there to head it back over the keeper and in.

Doubling the Lead

Arsenal's next score arrived midway through the half. Bayern's insistence on building from defense had been dangerous and was capitalized on. The winger cut out Stine Ballisager's stray pass and laid off to Stina Blackstenius, who poked it towards the Spanish midfielder on the edge of the box. The talented playmaker took a touch to alleviate pressure from the defender before lashing past Grohs.

After Break Turnaround

The energy dropped a little in the second half. José Barcala made substitutions to try to get his team back into the game: the ex-London striker Pernille Harder, whose hat-trick in October 2024 took the game from 2-2 to 5-2, entered and Italian midfielder and Alara Sehitler arrived soon after. The last of these would make Arsenal sweat first, sprinting forward and receiving from Klara Bühl before guiding the ball past the Arsenal keeper.

Total Turnaround

It was Bayern in the driving seat after the deficit was reduced, the home team believing they could take something from the game. The substitute produced, floating a cross 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 lead, Icelandic defender turning in at the near post from Bühl's cross. This time it was a sluggish end that disappointed Arsenal and, with a single victory from their European matches, they have a big job ahead.