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The London side needed a impressive display and positive result against a continental giant, but the team surrendered their two-goal lead and all three points to Bayern Munich with little resistance, casting their Champions League defence into tricky waters.

Contrasting Fortunes from Last Season

Last season, a inspiring fightback from 2-1 down to a narrow win over Bayern in their last group stage match avenged their heavy defeat to the Bavarian side and kickstarted their remarkable journey to the championship match. It represented a pivotal moment in their season, showing a resilience that propelled them to a second Champions League title. Their breakdown here showed they are still searching for the spirit that led to victory in May.

Travelling Supporters in Germany

More than 400 Arsenal fans had traveled to Munich, many filing into the Hofbräuhaus before the game for their traditional gathering. They were placed in a corner of the middle tier at the Allianz Arena, but still created an atmosphere, battling against the vocal local supporters of over 15,000 that made their presence felt in the lower tier.

Building on Recent Form

Daphne van Domselaar had said her team had "showed everything we had" in their 1-1 draw with Chelsea on Saturday. They were "deeply disappointed" by the result against the league leaders, with controversial officiating bearing the brunt of those frustrations.

The aim, though, was to channel the momentum 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 Arsenal

They opened on the front foot. The England forward was particularly energetic and caused problems for the Bayern full-back their left-back and the midfielder Japanese international on the right as Arsenal's intense pressure proved effective.

It was the forward's attempt that gave Arsenal the advantage 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 keeper and in.

Doubling the Advantage

Arsenal's second goal arrived midway through the half. Bayern's insistence on building from defense had been risky and was exploited. The winger cut out Stine Ballisager's stray pass and laid off to Stina Blackstenius, who poked it towards Mariona Caldentey on the penalty area. The talented playmaker took a control to alleviate pressure from the defender before driving past the goalkeeper.

Second Half Collapse

The energy dropped a little in the final period. The Bayern coach 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, entered and Italian midfielder and Alara Sehitler followed shortly. The last of these would make Arsenal sweat first, sprinting forward and collecting from Klara Bühl before guiding the ball past the Arsenal keeper.

Total Comeback

It was Bayern in the ascendancy after the deficit was reduced, the hosts believing they could take something from the game. Harder delivered, clipping a looping ball in from the edge of the area to equalize. They did not just want to draw, though: they wanted it all, and shortly after they had the lead, Icelandic defender scoring at the front post from Bühl's cross. This time it was a sluggish end that let down Arsenal and, with one win from their European matches, they have a major challenge ahead.