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The London side needed a impressive display and favorable outcome against a continental giant, but the team surrendered their 2-0 advantage and all three points to Bayern Munich with little resistance, casting their Champions League defence into difficult waters.

Different Fortunes from Previous Campaign

In the previous campaign, a inspiring fightback from 2-1 down to a narrow win over Bayern in their final group game avenged their heavy defeat to the Bavarian side and ignited their phenomenal run to the final. It marked a pivotal moment in their season, showing a resilience that propelled them to a second Champions League title. Their collapse here showed they are still searching for the fighting spirit that ensured success in May.

Travelling Supporters in Germany

Over four hundred 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 created an atmosphere, battling against the vocal local supporters of over 15,000 that brought the noise in the lower tier.

Learning from Previous Performance

The Arsenal goalkeeper had said 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 league leaders, 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 repeat of that sluggish beginning.

Fast Beginning for Visitors

They opened on the front foot. The England forward was especially lively and created difficulties for the Bayern defender their left-back and the midfielder Momoko Tanikawa on the right as Arsenal's high and aggressive pressing proved effective.

It was Mead's effort that ensured Arsenal took the lead in the early stages, the striker's effort strangely pushed away by the Bayern goalkeeper, the German shot-stopper. Fox was there to head it back over the goalkeeper and in.

Extending the Advantage

Arsenal's second goal arrived midway through the half. Bayern's insistence on building from defense had been risky and was capitalized on. The winger intercepted the defender's wayward ball and passed to the Swedish striker, who poked it towards Mariona Caldentey on the penalty area. The mercurial midfielder took a touch to alleviate pressure from the defender 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 bring his side into the game: the ex-London striker Danish international, whose hat-trick in October 2024 turned the match from 2-2 to 5-2, entered and Arianna Caruso and Alara Sehitler 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 ascendancy after the deficit was reduced, the hosts sensing they could take something from the game. The substitute produced, clipping a looping ball in from the penalty box to level. They did not just want to draw, though: they wanted it all, and six minutes later they had the lead, Icelandic defender scoring at the near 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 major challenge ahead.