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The London side required a impressive performance and favorable outcome against a continental giant, but the team surrendered their two-goal lead and all three points to Bayern Munich far too easily, casting their Champions League defence into difficult waters.

Contrasting Outcomes from Previous Campaign

In the previous campaign, a battling comeback from a goal behind to a narrow win over Bayern in their last group stage match made up for their heavy defeat to the German opponents and kickstarted their phenomenal run to the championship match. It marked a turning point in their season, showing a mental toughness that propelled them to a second Champions League title. Their breakdown here showed they are yet to recapture the spirit that led to victory in May.

Fan Support in Germany

More than 400 Arsenal fans had made the trip 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 made their voices heard, competing with the impressive home crowd of over 15,000 that made their presence felt in the stands below.

Learning from Recent Form

The Arsenal goalkeeper had said her team had "given their all" in their 1-1 draw with Chelsea on Saturday. They were "deeply disappointed" by the outcome against the WSL champions, 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 Arsenal

They started aggressively. The England forward was especially lively and caused problems for the Bayern full-back their left-back and the central player Japanese international on the right as Arsenal's high and aggressive pressing reaped its rewards.

It was Mead's effort that ensured Arsenal took the lead in the fifth minute, the England forward's shot unusually parried by the Bayern goalkeeper, Maria Luisa Grohs. The midfielder was there to head it back over the keeper and in.

Doubling the Lead

Arsenal's second goal arrived midway through the half. Bayern's determination to play out from the back had been dangerous and was exploited. Mead intercepted the defender's wayward ball and passed to the Swedish striker, who directed it towards Mariona Caldentey on the edge of the box. The mercurial midfielder took a touch to create space from Tanikawa before driving past the goalkeeper.

Second Half Collapse

The energy lessened a little in the second half. The Bayern coach turned to his bench to try to get his team back into the game: the ex-London striker Pernille Harder, whose three goals in October 2024 turned the match from 2-2 to 5-2, came on and Italian midfielder and Alara Sehitler arrived soon after. The final substitute would cause problems first, sprinting forward and collecting from Klara Bühl before guiding the ball past Van Domselaar.

Total Comeback

It was Bayern in the driving seat after the gap narrowed, the home team sensing they could get a result from the game. The substitute produced, floating a cross in from the penalty box to equalize. They did not just want to take something, though: they wanted everything, and six minutes later they had the lead, Glodis Viggosdottir turning in at the front 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.