🔗 Share this article The Gunners Surrender 2-0 Lead in Champions League Loss to German Giants Arsenal required a strong 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 European campaign into tricky waters. Different Fortunes from Previous Campaign Last season, a battling comeback from a goal behind to a 3-2 victory over Bayern in their last group stage match avenged their opening 5-2 loss to the Bavarian side and ignited their phenomenal run to the final. It marked a pivotal moment in their season, showing a mental toughness that carried them to a European triumph. Their collapse here showed they are yet to recapture the spirit that led to victory in May. Fan Support in Germany More than 400 Arsenal fans had traveled to Munich, many filing into the city's famous beer hall before the game for their traditional gathering. They were shoved into a corner of the middle tier 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. Building on Previous Performance The Arsenal goalkeeper 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 receiving much criticism of those disappointments. The aim, 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 stuck to the plan and there was no repeat of that sluggish beginning. Fast Beginning for Arsenal They started aggressively. The England forward was particularly energetic and created difficulties for the Bayern full-back their left-back and the midfielder Japanese international on the right as Arsenal's intense pressure proved effective. It was Mead's effort 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. Extending the Advantage Arsenal's second goal arrived midway through the half. Bayern's determination to play out from the back had been dangerous and was capitalized on. The winger cut out Stine Ballisager's stray pass and laid off to Stina Blackstenius, who directed it towards Mariona Caldentey on the edge of the box. The talented playmaker took a touch to create space from Tanikawa before lashing past the goalkeeper. After Break Turnaround The energy dropped a little in the second half. The Bayern coach made substitutions to try to bring his side into the game: the ex-London striker Pernille Harder, whose hat-trick in October 2024 took the game from 2-2 to 5-2, came on and Italian midfielder and Turkish talent followed shortly. The last of these would cause problems first, sprinting forward and collecting from German winger before guiding the ball past Van Domselaar. Total Comeback It was Bayern in the ascendancy after the gap narrowed, the hosts sensing they could take something from the game. Harder produced, clipping a cross in from the penalty box to equalize. They did not just want to draw, though: they wanted everything, and shortly after they had the advantage, Glodis Viggosdottir scoring at the near post from the winger's delivery. This time it was a sluggish end that disappointed Arsenal and, with one win from their European matches, they have a major challenge ahead.