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The London side required a strong display and positive outcome against a continental giant, but Renée Slegers’s side surrendered their 2-0 advantage and the victory to Bayern Munich far too easily, casting their European campaign into tricky 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 avenged their opening 5-2 loss to the German opponents and kickstarted their remarkable journey 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 yet to recapture the spirit that led to victory in May.

Fan Support in Munich

Over four hundred Arsenal fans had traveled to Munich, many filing into the Hofbräuhaus before the game for their traditional gathering. They were shoved into a corner of the upper level 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 lower tier.

Learning from Previous Performance

The Arsenal goalkeeper had stated her team had "showed everything we had" in their hard-fought tie with Chelsea on Saturday. They were "deeply disappointed" by the result against the WSL champions, with questionable refereeing decisions bearing the brunt of those frustrations.

The goal, though, was to channel the momentum of that impressive second-half display 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.

Fast Beginning for Visitors

They opened on the front foot. The England forward was particularly energetic and caused problems for the Bayern defender their left-back and the midfielder Japanese international on the right as Arsenal's intense pressure 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 nod the ball 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 dangerous and was exploited. The winger cut out the defender's wayward ball and passed to Stina Blackstenius, who directed it towards Mariona Caldentey on the penalty area. The talented playmaker took a control to create space from Tanikawa before lashing past the goalkeeper.

Second Half Collapse

The intensity lessened 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 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 followed shortly. The final substitute would cause problems first, flying away on the break and collecting from German winger before directing the ball past the Arsenal keeper.

Total Comeback

It was Bayern in the driving seat after the gap narrowed, the hosts believing they could take something from the game. Harder delivered, clipping 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 scoring at the front post from the winger's delivery. This time it was a poor finish that let down Arsenal and, with one win from their European matches, they have a big job ahead.