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The London side required a strong performance and favorable outcome against a continental giant, but Renée Slegers’s side relinquished their 2-0 advantage and the victory to Bayern Munich far too easily, casting their European campaign into difficult waters.

Contrasting Fortunes from Last Season

In the previous campaign, a inspiring fightback from a goal behind to a 3-2 victory over Bayern in their final group game avenged their opening 5-2 loss to the German opponents and ignited their phenomenal run to the final. It represented a turning point in their season, showing a mental toughness that carried them to a European triumph. Their breakdown here demonstrated they are yet to recapture the fighting spirit that led to victory in May.

Fan Support in Munich

More than 400 Arsenal fans had made the trip to Munich, many filing into the city's famous beer hall 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 created an atmosphere, competing with the impressive home crowd 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 "devastated" by the outcome against the league leaders, with controversial officiating receiving much criticism of those frustrations.

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 stuck to the plan and there was no repetition of that sluggish beginning.

Fast Beginning for Arsenal

They opened on the front foot. The England forward was particularly energetic and caused problems for the Bayern defender Franziska Kett and the midfielder Momoko Tanikawa on the right as Arsenal's high and aggressive pressing reaped its rewards.

It was the forward's attempt that ensured Arsenal took the lead in the early stages, the striker's effort unusually parried by the Bayern goalkeeper, Maria Luisa Grohs. Fox was there to nod the ball back over the keeper and in.

Extending the Advantage

Arsenal's next score arrived in the 23rd minute. Bayern's determination to play out from the back had been risky and was capitalized on. The winger cut out Stine Ballisager's stray pass and laid off to the Swedish striker, who directed it towards Mariona Caldentey on the penalty area. The mercurial midfielder took a touch to create space from the defender before driving past Grohs.

After Break Turnaround

The energy dropped a little in the second half. José Barcala made substitutions to try to bring his side into the game: the former Chelsea forward Pernille Harder, whose three goals in October 2024 turned the match from 2-2 to 5-2, entered and Arianna Caruso and Turkish talent arrived soon after. The last of these would cause problems first, flying away on the break and receiving from Klara Bühl before guiding the ball past Van Domselaar.

Total Turnaround

It was Bayern in the driving seat after the gap narrowed, the hosts sensing they could get a result from the game. Harder produced, clipping a cross in from the edge of the area to equalize. They did not just want to draw, though: they wanted everything, and shortly after they had the lead, Glodis Viggosdottir scoring at the front post from Bühl's cross. This time it was a sluggish end that disappointed Arsenal and, with one win from their European matches, they have a major challenge ahead.