Arsenal: Zinsberger; Fox, Williamson, Codina, McCabe; Little, Wälti; Foord, Maanum, Mariona; Blackstenius
Substitutes: van Domselaar, Williams, Wubben-Moy, Catley, Reid, Cooney-Cross, Kühl, Kafaji, Mead, Lia, Godfrey, Russo
Arsenal have lost their opening Champions League group stage game in Munich, with Bayern Munich running out 5-2 winners. Arsenal took the lead and had a strong opening 30 minutes, but Arsenal completely collapsed, leaving more questions about the viability of Jonas Eidevall’s managerial reign.
Jonas Eidevall made five changes to the team that underperformed on Sunday. Manuela Zinsberger returned in goal, while Leah Williamson, Lia Wälti, Caitlin Foord, and Stina Blackstenius all came into the side. Lotte Wubben-Moy, Kyra Cooney-Cross, Beth Mead, and Alessia Russo dropped to the bench.
First Half
Bayern had the first attempt of the match. Williamson headed away a cross to her England teammate Georgia Stanway, whose shot was on target but at a good height for Zinsberger to catch. Maanum, half a minute later, did the same, with her shot also straight at Grohs.
Arsenal had a good chance from a set piece! McCabe’s delivery was excellent, and found Codina in the 6 yard box, but the ball came off the end of her foot and trickled straight to Grohs.
Foord then beat her defender, but from a tight angle fired her shot into the near post.
Having nearly scored from one set piece, Arsenal came even closer from a corner. McCabe’s near post inswinger was deflected onto the post, and then cleared off the line as Blackstenius looked to pounce on the rebound.
Arsenal took the lead on 30 minutes. McCabe combined with Maanum, and then continued her run. She received the ball from Foord, who had drifted wide, and crossed to the center. Mariona met the cross with her left foot and finished past Grohs. 0-1.
Arsenal had been fairly comfortable as Bayern increased the pressure but the hosts would equalise on 43 minutes. Arsenal cleared a corner, but Bayern re-set, and from a deep cross by Stanway, Viggósdóttir climbed higher than Blackstenius on the back post and looped her header back across goal and in, with Zinsberger left helpless. 1-1.
Second Half
Bayern started the stronger of the teams after the break, looking to test Arsenal’s defence with ball over the top, and Harder headed just wide.
Simon then hit a shot straight at Zinsberger, and two minutes later, Bayern took the lead. From a throw in on the left hand side, Bühl picked up possession and drove across the Arsenal midfield. She passed the ball to Lohmann on the right, who fired past Zinsberger at the near post, with the Arsenal goalkeeper perhaps expecting a shot across goal. 2-1.
Having been on the back foot for much of the first twenty minutes of the second half, Arsenal won a corner after Blackstenius’ cross was cut out. McCabe delivered and Codina rose highest to head home. 2-2.
Immediately after the goal, on 67 minutes, Arsenal made a triple substitution, with Russo, Mead, and Catley replacing Blackstenius, Maanum, and McCabe.
Bayern took the lead again on 73 minutes. Simon’s left footed corner was floated into the box, and Harder met it just outside the 6 yard box and guided her header. 3-2.
Bayern extended the lead five minutes later. Following a corner, Bühl crossed from the left, and Harder, unmarked, met the cross in front of Zinsberger and looped her header above the goalkeeper. 4-2.
On 79 minutes, Kyra Cooney-Cross and Rosa Kafaji replaced Lia Wälti and Caitlin Foord.
Arsenal threw bodies forward, and Stanway had a chance on the break from range, but her shot was blocked. Bayern, though, would finish Arsenal off, and perhaps finish Eidevall off, as Harder completed her hat trick on 86 minutes. Bayern played through Arsenal’s midfield, with Dallman playing the ball wide to Gwinn. Her low cross found Harder, whose first shot was saved by Zinsberger, but Harder put away the rebound. 5-2.
We have now had our asses handed to us even in the kind of big game you’d usually back Jonas! Does he realize Kim Little, sadly, no longer has the legs she used to and that she can share minutes with one of our younger options, as opposed to playing 90 mins every game? What was the sense in taking Walti out then? I was pissed off in that second half when we tried passing the ball around on the right even WHEN it was CLEARLY congested in that area of the pitch and the middle/left was free. They kept… Read more »
I said it after the Everton game and will say it again. EW must go. He is a very overrated coach that is taking the team backwards. Results matter and he hasn’t won us anything.
Sorry for the typo. Meant JE of course.
JE hasn’t won anything?
Hmm, two consecutive League Cups, both against Chelsea and the charming Emma Hayes.
You sound a bit like Eric Ten Hag…
I’m too exhausted and dispirited to give a proper reply, but: agreed; agreed; agreed.
Go and have a few pints Tim. If u r in Munich, it might still be the beer fest, and if it’s not, well you have earnt a few pints. I’m going to go cry in the corner.
*Or Aidan
Oktoberfest finished on Sunday, and after Everton result/performance and now Bayern, JE should be finished too.
While I live in hope, we need to be sure of a quality proven manager to replace him. Have we been talking to other managers? If not, why not?
Watching arsenal women recently looks like a waste of time… From now on, I’ll just check the results. It’s a shame the state we are in
The ultimate game of two halves. In the second we left our defence and common sense in the dressing room. While sodding around near the penalty area instead of clearing the ball, Bayern scored their third.
We passed everywhere that was harmless for the most part, often it was only a danger to Arsenal.
Not convinced there is an argument for losing 5-2 if you are the Arsenal Manager.With that defensive/passing display we are in trouble on Saturday.
Maybe if you sexist fucks put a picture of them playing Futbol up, they could play futbol!
U wot guv
Embarrassing. Absolute embarrassing. Last time I saw us lose 5-2 was to Man City in 2017. Beyond pathetic. Jonas needs to be fired. I don’t care who manages this Chelsea game. He needs to go now. It simply isn’t working and the players play like they don’t believe in the tactics anymore. Now to the players… A lot of these players need to take a long hard look at themselves. Some of their displays have been beyond woeful last few games. It’s a shame. Never thought the day would come where I’d say this but Kim Little is absolutely holding… Read more »
but who replaces Kim? She’s still the best ball-retainer in the team. The only half decent game we’ve had this season was Hacken and that was Kim and Lia both putting in a proper shift, making us look good again, and I found myself wondering how we STILL rely on those two in there for the team to play well. We’ve known for some time that we need to find successors and have not adequately done so (Pelova might be one, her injury has really scuppered us this season**… and I hope Kuhl comes back ready, but I don’t know)… Read more »
Well, that must have been it for sure? I really hope the club management has a short list with possible new managers. This is a team falling apart right in front of us.
Much can be said about the defending (the whole team, not only the back four) and goalkeeping but I really don’t see the point. The team is so fragile now and a new voice in the dressing room is urgently needed.
Well said.
He’s managed to combine the playing styles of ten hag and angeball into one team. No structure, no consistency (except bad results and excuses), and no capacity to adjust mid game.
I think both things can be true:
a) There should be a new voice, as it’s clear that it’s not working
b) These players, who are internationals, and have won lots of trophies and played in lots of high pressure matches, are all below their level, and can all be doing more.
Completely agree with you. The players definitely share the responsibility. There are plenty of experience on the pitch, maybe even to much. I have some thoughts regarding the player recruitment but it will require a longer comment.
But b) is part of the manager’s job. If the underperformance is throughout the team, that is on the coaching set up and the culture at the club.
I don’t disagree, because when there’s a total underperformance it comes back to the manager and staff. But still, given the players in the team it’s incredibly disappointing.
Point a) Agreed
Point b) The players are below their ceiling but it is the manager’s job to motivate them and provide workable tactics neither of which are present at the moment.
Embarrassing display from the coaching to the players.
Watching Man City/Barca now. The contrast is painful.
On the plus side we now have an absolutely FANTASTIC opportunity to bounce back against chelsea. Three-quarters throttle should do it.
If tonight was full throttle I’d hate to think what tick over looks like!
Jonas might be the ange of the women’s game- here to entertain, not to win matches. Mate.
Could Mikel maybe do two jobs for us?
Well credit to Bayern, they were the superior team for the majority of the match, technically and tactically. We really fell away after a bright 30 min spell. You can see how disjoined we became, unable to recycle the ball and break out of the press. We even ended the first half with Blackstenius (of all people) trying to prevent a header at the back post for their first goal. The second half was a real mauling. The substitutes didn’t work, I thought we looked rudderless and out of ideas, and first Blackstenius and then Russo were anonymous. However –… Read more »
We could give Jonas the elbow and get Ian Wright Wright Wright in as temporary boss. Even he has become critical of late and he certainly could not do any worse! At least he might get players moving around the pitch so that there is an out ball instead of this constant passing it straight back to where it has just came from. Even in additional time on top of stoppage time we were still passing from side to side with no apparent urgency to give a bit more respectability to the scoreline. These are not bad players so it… Read more »
Only Wenger could
Lose big games and concede 5 in the process. Dead man walking.