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The London side required a strong display and positive result against a continental giant, but the team relinquished their 2-0 advantage and all three points to Bayern Munich far too easily, casting their European campaign into difficult waters.

Different Outcomes from Last Season

Last season, a battling comeback from 2-1 down to a 3-2 victory over Bayern in their final group game avenged their heavy defeat to the German opponents and ignited their remarkable journey to the championship match. It represented a turning point in their season, demonstrating a mental toughness that carried them to a second Champions League title. Their breakdown here showed they are still searching for the fighting spirit that led to victory in May.

Travelling Supporters in Germany

More than 400 Arsenal fans had made the trip to Munich, many gathering at the city's famous beer hall before the game for their traditional gathering. They were placed in a corner of the upper level at the Allianz Arena, but still made their voices heard, battling against the vocal local supporters of over 15,000 that brought the noise in the stands below.

Learning from Recent Form

Daphne van Domselaar 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 league leaders, with controversial officiating receiving much criticism of those frustrations.

The goal, though, was to channel the momentum of that strong performance after halftime to Germany with them. Arsenal had started slowly against Chelsea. In Munich they stuck to the plan and there was no repetition of that sluggish beginning.

Strong Start 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 central player Japanese international on the right as Arsenal's intense pressure proved effective.

It was the forward's attempt 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. The midfielder was there to nod the ball back over the goalkeeper 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 risky and was exploited. Mead cut out Stine Ballisager's stray pass and passed to the Swedish striker, who poked it towards the Spanish midfielder on the edge of the box. The talented playmaker took a control to create space from Tanikawa before lashing past Grohs.

Second Half Turnaround

The intensity dropped a little in the final period. José Barcala made substitutions to try to get his team back into the game: the ex-London striker Danish international, whose hat-trick in October 2024 took the game from 2-2 to 5-2, entered and Arianna Caruso and Turkish talent followed shortly. The last of these would make Arsenal sweat first, flying away on the break and receiving from German winger before guiding the ball past Van Domselaar.

Total Turnaround

It was Bayern in the ascendancy after the deficit was reduced, the home team believing they could get a result from the game. The substitute 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 advantage, Icelandic defender scoring at the near post from Bühl's cross. This time it was a poor finish that disappointed Arsenal and, with one win from their European matches, they have a major challenge ahead.