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The London side required a strong performance and positive result against a continental giant, but the team surrendered their two-goal lead and the victory to Bayern Munich with little resistance, casting their Champions League defence into difficult waters.

Contrasting Outcomes from Previous Campaign

Last season, a inspiring fightback from a goal behind to a 3-2 victory over Bayern in their final group game avenged their heavy defeat to the German opponents and ignited their remarkable journey to the championship match. It represented a pivotal moment in their season, demonstrating a mental toughness that propelled them to a European triumph. Their collapse here demonstrated they are yet to recapture the fighting 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 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 brought the noise in the lower tier.

Building on Previous Performance

The Arsenal goalkeeper had stated 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 questionable refereeing decisions bearing the brunt of those disappointments.

The aim, though, was to take the energy of that strong performance after halftime to Germany with them. Arsenal had started slowly against Chelsea. In Munich they executed their strategy and there was no repetition of that slow start.

Strong Start for Visitors

They opened on the front foot. The England forward was particularly energetic and caused problems for the Bayern full-back Franziska Kett and the central player Momoko Tanikawa on the right as Arsenal's intense pressure proved effective.

It was Mead's effort that gave Arsenal the advantage in the early stages, the England forward's shot strangely pushed away by the Bayern goalkeeper, Maria Luisa Grohs. Fox was there to head it back over the goalkeeper and in.

Extending the Advantage

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 intercepted the defender's wayward ball and laid off to Stina Blackstenius, who directed it towards the Spanish midfielder on the penalty area. The mercurial midfielder took a touch to alleviate pressure from Tanikawa before lashing past Grohs.

Second Half Collapse

The energy dropped a little in the final period. The Bayern coach made substitutions to try to get his team back into the game: the ex-London striker Danish international, 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 final substitute would cause problems first, flying away on the break and collecting from Klara Bühl before guiding the ball past the Arsenal keeper.

Complete Turnaround

It was Bayern in the driving seat after the deficit was reduced, the home team believing they could take something from the game. Harder produced, floating a cross in from the penalty box to equalize. They did not just want to take something, though: they wanted it all, and six minutes later they had the advantage, Glodis Viggosdottir scoring at the near post from Bühl's cross. This time it was a sluggish end that let down Arsenal and, with a single victory from their European matches, they have a major challenge ahead.