The Gunners Surrender Two-Goal Advantage in European Defeat to German Giants

The London side needed a strong display and favorable outcome against a European powerhouse, but Renée Slegers’s side surrendered their 2-0 advantage and the victory to Bayern Munich far too easily, casting their Champions League defence into difficult waters.

Contrasting Outcomes from Last Season

Last season, a battling comeback from 2-1 down to a 3-2 victory over Bayern in their last group stage match made up for their opening 5-2 loss to the German opponents and kickstarted their phenomenal run to the final. It represented a turning point in their season, demonstrating a resilience that carried them to a European triumph. Their collapse here showed they are still searching for the spirit that led to victory in May.

Travelling Supporters in Munich

More than 400 Arsenal fans had made the trip to Munich, many gathering at the Hofbräuhaus before the game for their traditional gathering. They were shoved into a section of the middle tier at the Allianz Arena, but still created an atmosphere, competing with the impressive home crowd of over 15,000 that made their presence felt in the stands below.

Learning from Recent Form

Daphne van Domselaar had said 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 frustrations.

The goal, though, was to channel the momentum of that strong performance after halftime to Germany with them. Arsenal had begun poorly against Chelsea. In Munich they executed their strategy and there was no repetition of that slow start.

Strong Start for Arsenal

They started aggressively. Beth Mead was particularly energetic and created difficulties for the Bayern defender Franziska Kett and the midfielder Momoko Tanikawa 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 England forward's shot strangely pushed away by the Bayern goalkeeper, the German shot-stopper. Fox was there to nod the ball back over the keeper and in.

Extending the Advantage

Arsenal's next score arrived midway through the half. Bayern's determination to play out from the back had been risky and was capitalized on. The winger intercepted the defender's wayward ball and laid off to Stina Blackstenius, who poked it towards the Spanish midfielder on the edge of the box. The mercurial midfielder took a touch to alleviate pressure from the defender before lashing past the goalkeeper.

After Break 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 former Chelsea forward Danish international, whose three goals in October 2024 turned the match from 2-2 to 5-2, came on and Arianna Caruso and Alara Sehitler followed shortly. The last of these would cause problems first, sprinting forward and receiving from German winger before directing the ball past the Arsenal keeper.

Complete Comeback

It was Bayern in the ascendancy after the deficit was reduced, the hosts believing they could take something from the game. Harder produced, floating a cross in from the edge of the area to level. They did not just want to take something, though: they wanted it all, and six minutes later they had the lead, Glodis Viggosdottir 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 three Champions League games, they have a big job ahead.