🔗 Share this article The Gunners Let Slip Two-Goal Lead in Champions League Defeat to German Giants Arsenal required a impressive display and favorable outcome against a continental giant, but the team surrendered their two-goal lead and the victory to Bayern Munich far too easily, casting their Champions League defence into difficult waters. Contrasting Fortunes from Last Season In the previous campaign, a battling comeback from a goal behind to a 3-2 victory over Bayern in their final group game avenged their opening 5-2 loss to the Bavarian side and ignited their remarkable journey to the championship match. It represented a turning point in their season, showing a resilience that carried them to a second Champions League title. Their collapse here demonstrated they are still searching for the spirit that led to victory in May. Fan Support in Munich More than 400 Arsenal fans had traveled to Munich, many gathering at the Hofbräuhaus before the game for their pre-match meet-up. They were shoved into a corner of the upper level at the Allianz Arena, but still created an atmosphere, battling against the vocal local supporters of over 15,000 that made their presence felt in the lower tier. Learning from Previous Performance Daphne van Domselaar had stated her team had "given their all" in their hard-fought tie with Chelsea on Saturday. They were "deeply disappointed" by the outcome against the WSL champions, with questionable refereeing decisions bearing the brunt of those frustrations. The aim, though, was to channel the momentum 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. Strong Start for Visitors They started aggressively. The England forward was especially lively and caused problems for the Bayern full-back their left-back and the midfielder Momoko Tanikawa on the right as Arsenal's high and aggressive pressing reaped its rewards. It was Mead's effort that gave Arsenal the advantage in the early stages, the England forward's shot strangely pushed away by the Bayern goalkeeper, Maria Luisa Grohs. The midfielder was there to nod the ball back over the keeper and in. Doubling the Lead Arsenal's second goal arrived in the 23rd minute. Bayern's insistence on building from defense had been risky and was capitalized on. The winger cut out the defender's wayward ball and laid off to the Swedish striker, who poked it towards the Spanish midfielder on the edge of the box. The mercurial midfielder took a control to alleviate pressure from Tanikawa before driving past the goalkeeper. After Break Turnaround The intensity lessened a little in the second half. The Bayern coach turned to his bench to try to get his team back into the game: the former Chelsea forward Pernille Harder, whose hat-trick 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 make Arsenal sweat first, sprinting forward and collecting from Klara Bühl before guiding the ball past the Arsenal keeper. Complete Comeback It was Bayern in the ascendancy after the deficit was reduced, the hosts believing they could get a result from the game. The substitute produced, floating a looping ball in from the edge of the area to level. They did not just want to take something, though: they wanted everything, and six minutes later they had the advantage, Glodis Viggosdottir scoring at the near post from the winger's delivery. This time it was a sluggish end that let down Arsenal and, with a single victory from their European matches, they have a major challenge ahead.