🔗 Share this article The Gunners Surrender Two-Goal Advantage in European Defeat to German Giants Arsenal needed a impressive display and positive result against a continental giant, but Renée Slegers’s side surrendered their two-goal lead and all three points to Bayern Munich far too easily, plunging their European campaign into tricky waters. Different Outcomes from Previous Campaign Last season, a battling comeback from 2-1 down to a 3-2 victory over Bayern in their final group game avenged their heavy defeat to the German opponents and ignited their remarkable journey to the championship match. It marked a turning point in their season, showing a resilience that carried them to a second Champions League title. Their collapse here demonstrated they are yet to recapture the spirit that led to victory in May. Fan Support in Munich Over four hundred 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 section 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. Learning from Previous Performance Daphne van Domselaar had stated her team had "showed everything we had" in their hard-fought tie with Chelsea on Saturday. They were "deeply disappointed" by the result against the league leaders, with controversial officiating receiving much criticism of those disappointments. 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 repeat of that sluggish beginning. Fast Beginning for Arsenal They started aggressively. 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 intense pressure reaped its rewards. It was Mead's effort 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. Doubling the Advantage Arsenal's second goal arrived in the 23rd minute. Bayern's insistence on building from defense had been risky and was capitalized on. Mead intercepted Stine Ballisager's stray pass and laid off to Stina Blackstenius, who poked it towards Mariona Caldentey on the edge of the box. The talented playmaker took a control to alleviate pressure from the defender before driving past the goalkeeper. After Break Turnaround The energy lessened a little in the final period. The Bayern coach made substitutions to try to bring his side into the game: the former Chelsea forward Pernille Harder, whose three goals in October 2024 took the game from 2-2 to 5-2, entered and Italian midfielder and Turkish talent followed shortly. The last of these would cause problems first, sprinting forward and collecting from Klara Bühl before directing the ball past the Arsenal keeper. Complete Turnaround It was Bayern in the driving seat after the gap narrowed, the home team sensing they could take something from the game. Harder delivered, clipping 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 shortly after they had the lead, Icelandic defender turning in 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 big job ahead.