🔗 Share this article The Gunners Surrender 2-0 Advantage in Champions League Loss to German Giants The London side required a strong display and favorable outcome against a continental giant, but Renée Slegers’s side relinquished their two-goal lead and all three points to Bayern Munich with little resistance, casting their European campaign into difficult waters. Contrasting Outcomes 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 made up for their heavy defeat to the German opponents and ignited their remarkable journey to the final. It marked a pivotal moment in their season, showing a mental toughness that carried them to a European triumph. Their breakdown here showed they are yet to recapture the spirit that ensured success in May. Fan Support in Munich More than 400 Arsenal fans had traveled to Munich, many gathering at the city's famous beer hall 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 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 result against the WSL champions, with questionable refereeing decisions bearing the brunt of those frustrations. The aim, though, was to take the energy of that impressive second-half display 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. Fast Beginning for Visitors They started aggressively. Beth Mead was especially lively and created difficulties for the Bayern defender their left-back and the central player Momoko Tanikawa on the right as Arsenal's intense pressure proved effective. It was the forward's attempt that gave Arsenal the advantage in the fifth minute, the striker's effort strangely pushed away by the Bayern goalkeeper, Maria Luisa Grohs. The midfielder was there to nod the ball back over the goalkeeper and in. Extending the Lead Arsenal's second goal arrived midway through the half. Bayern's insistence on building from defense had been dangerous and was exploited. The winger intercepted Stine Ballisager's stray pass and passed to Stina Blackstenius, who directed it towards Mariona Caldentey on the penalty area. The mercurial midfielder took a touch to create space from Tanikawa before lashing past the goalkeeper. Second Half Collapse The intensity lessened a little in the final period. The Bayern coach turned to his bench to try to bring his side into the game: the ex-London striker Danish international, whose three goals in October 2024 turned the match from 2-2 to 5-2, came on and Italian midfielder and Alara Sehitler arrived soon after. The last of these would cause problems first, sprinting forward and receiving from German winger before guiding the ball past the Arsenal keeper. Complete Turnaround It was Bayern in the driving seat after the gap narrowed, the hosts believing they could get a result from the game. The substitute delivered, floating a cross in from the penalty box to equalize. They did not just want to take something, though: they wanted it all, and shortly after they had the lead, Glodis Viggosdottir turning in at the near post from the winger's delivery. This time it was a poor finish that disappointed Arsenal and, with one win from their European matches, they have a major challenge ahead.