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Arsenal required a impressive performance and favorable outcome against a continental giant, but the team relinquished their 2-0 advantage and the victory to Bayern Munich far too easily, plunging their Champions League defence into tricky waters.

Different Outcomes from Last Season

Last season, a inspiring fightback from 2-1 down to a narrow win over Bayern in their final group game avenged their heavy defeat to the German opponents and kickstarted their phenomenal run to the final. It marked a pivotal moment in their season, demonstrating a resilience that carried them to a second Champions League title. Their breakdown here demonstrated they are still searching for the fighting spirit that ensured success in May.

Fan Support in Munich

More than 400 Arsenal fans had traveled to Munich, many filing into the Hofbräuhaus before the game for their pre-match meet-up. They were placed in a corner of the upper level 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.

Learning from Recent Form

The Arsenal goalkeeper 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 controversial officiating bearing the brunt of those disappointments.

The goal, 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 executed their strategy and there was no repeat of that slow start.

Strong Start for Visitors

They started aggressively. The England forward was particularly energetic and caused problems for the Bayern full-back Franziska Kett and the midfielder Momoko Tanikawa 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 striker's effort unusually parried by the Bayern goalkeeper, Maria Luisa Grohs. Fox was there to nod the ball back over the goalkeeper and in.

Extending the Lead

Arsenal's second goal arrived in the 23rd minute. Bayern's insistence on building from defense had been risky and was exploited. The winger intercepted Stine Ballisager's stray pass and laid off to the Swedish striker, who poked it towards the Spanish midfielder on the penalty area. The talented playmaker took a touch to create space from Tanikawa before driving past Grohs.

Second Half Collapse

The intensity dropped a little in the second half. The Bayern coach made substitutions to try to get his team back into the game: the former Chelsea forward Pernille Harder, whose three goals in October 2024 took the game from 2-2 to 5-2, entered and Italian midfielder and Turkish talent followed shortly. The final substitute would cause problems first, flying away on the break and collecting from Klara Bühl before guiding the ball past Van Domselaar.

Total Turnaround

It was Bayern in the driving seat after the deficit was reduced, the home team sensing they could get a result from the game. The substitute delivered, clipping a looping ball 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 scoring at the near post from Bühl's cross. This time it was a poor finish that disappointed Arsenal and, with a single victory from their European matches, they have a big job ahead.