Arsenal fired home a late winner to claim a 3-2 win over Bayern Munich in the UEFA Women's Champions League.
The Gunners were keen to banish the ghosts of the past after losing 5-2 in the reverse fixture in October. A win under the Meadow Park lights would ensure either side could top their group, with Renee Slegers' side needing just a draw.
Fans at Meadow Park were treated to a European spectacle as both sides battled it out under the lights in a Champions League classic. An own goal lifted Arsenal's spirits early, but a Magdalena Eriksson strike put Bayern Munich back in the league early in the second half.
Both teams will now look forward to the quarter-final draw that will decide who they will face in the Champions League. The draw will be made on February 7, while the quarter-finals will be held on March 18/19 and 26/27.
How the game played out
It wouldn't be long before the Gunners drew blood as a corner from Kyra Cooney-Cross was headed home by Caitlin Foord from close range. A rendition of ABBA's 'Voulez-Vous' boomed across Meadow Park as Gunners fans sang Foord's name in celebration.
Having scored nine goals in ten games, Alessia Russo tested her shooting form by taking on two Bayern defenders on the edge of the box. Able to maneuver himself to clear the shot, the shot was fired well over the bar.
With their place at the top of their group now under threat, Bayern were hungry for a draw. Steph Catley's desperate header cleared Klara Bühl's shot from danger, but the clearance fell only to Giulia Gwinn, who fired it into the stands.
Bühl tested the corners when she crossed Emily Fox from the left but her shot was stopped by Daphne van Domselaar who cleared the ball for a corner. The corner wreaked havoc for the Gunners but it was Catley who cleared the danger as the home fans breathed a sigh of relief.
The German giants pulled one back in the 38th minute as Georgia Stanway headed over Russo at the back post from Gwinn's corner before Magdalena Erikkson fired home to equalise.
The second half started strangely, but it was Arsenal who were given the golden opportunity to take the lead. Blackstenius found her stride down wide and took a touch past Bayern goalkeeper Ena Mahmutovic, but missed the opportunity to let her chance slip away.
The German giants were much more clinical at the other end as a superb delivery from Gwinn took a touch from Eriksson to sail past Daphne van Domselaar and give Bayern the lead.
Meadow Park was treated to an end-to-end game of football as another set set the Gunners up for glory. McCabe's superb delivery put Russo at the back post and the England striker slotted home the equalizer.
If the game wasn't nail-biting enough, it would reach new heights in the 85th minute when Arsenal were awarded a penalty for a handball inside the box. Cool, calm, collected, Caldentey. The Spanish maestro fired home her spot-kick to win the game for the Gunners in remarkable fashion.
Check out the player ratings for Arsenal – Bayern Munich here.
If we learned one thing from the start of Arsenal's 2024/25 season under Jonas Eidevall, it's that they were the first to back down from a fight. The Gunners were nothing short of lackluster, bowing out at the first sign of adversity. But lately, it couldn't be further from the case.
Renee Slegers has made these players fall in love with football again, and the days when the Gunners would throw their heads after losing 2-1 are long gone. Aided by the roar of the Meadow Park faithful, Arsenal showed they have regained their fighting spirit in recent weeks.
The Russian's 2-2 equalizer was the closest Arsenal fans have come since their torrid efforts in an injury-riddled 2022/23 season and the transformation in mentality since Slegers took over is a breath of fresh air.
“Last Christmas I gave you my heart, but the next day you gave it away. This year to save me from tears I'll give it to Renee Slegers,” sang the number on the North Shore. Arsenal fans are convinced, should everyone else be too?
Slegers has now gone 11 games unbeaten in a row as interim manager and has brought Arsenal back to playing their exciting brand of football.
The Dutch manager has unlocked the potential, with Russo scoring 10 goals in 11 games after starting the 2024/25 campaign without a goal in eight games. Catley and Williamson settled into their roles as a centre-back pairing and executed their game plans superbly, and the Gunners looked composed in all areas of the pitch.
Now beating Bayern Munich, what more could those in the backroom ask for in their search for a manager?
It looks like we have a glimpse of the work Alessia Russo and Stina Blackstenius can do alongside each other to strengthen this Arsenal squad. Those moments have come often in the later stages of Women's Super League (WSL) matches recently, with Blackstenius seeing Russo thrust back into the midfield role. This has often worked to the advantage of Arsenal's attack, but tonight it did nothing but hinder it.
The pair started alongside each other last week against Valerenga, with Russo deployed on the wing. This was an outstanding move from Slegers, as Russo's ability to reverse, combined with Blackstenius' striking strength, made for a truly exciting performance. Although against Bayern Munich, both seemed lost in translation.
Having scored nine goals in ten games, perhaps the decision to start Russo in midfield meant she was unable to make an immediate mark on the game. The English forward looked a bit disjointed and was unable to line up her runs in time with Blackstenius's.
Arsenal's second goal did enough to show Russo's pure striker instinct, lashing home a volley from distance after a well-timed run towards the back post. The 25-year-old is in firing form and her name should be the first name on the team sheet, at number nine.