Arsenal’s unbeaten pre-season ends with 3-1 loss against Real Betis in Dublin

Mikel Arteta admitted his Arsenal players were left “fuming” after a disappointing 3-1 pre-season defeat to Real Betis, insisting the frustration should fuel improvement ahead of the new campaign.

The Gunners produced an unusually error-strewn defensive display during the first half, conceding three times before the interval despite enjoying more of the possession. Real Betis looked the more dangerous side throughout, creating the better chances and forcing Arsenal onto the back foot.

Reflecting on the mood inside the dressing room after the opening 45 minutes, Arteta revealed his squad were far from satisfied with their performance.

“Very upset, given a hard time. They are fuming, but this is good. That’s what we need.”

Arsenal remain without several key players following their involvement at the World Cup. Declan Rice, Eberechi Eze, Noni Madueke and Bukayo Saka have yet to rejoin the squad, while Spain trio Mikel Merino, David Raya and Martin Zubimendi are also still absent. Captain Martin Odegaard has, however, returned to individual training after Norway’s World Cup campaign.

Despite those notable absentees, Arteta named a strong starting side featuring Viktor Gyokeres leading the attack alongside Ethan Nwaneri, Kai Havertz, summer signing Christos Tzolis and highly-rated youngster Max Dowman.

Although frustrated by the result, Arteta believes the defeat could prove valuable as Arsenal continue preparations for the new season.

“Well, the important part is to win it and we didn’t manage to win it, so disappointed obviously for the result.

“It’s true we used 25 players, so you need to give a bit of context to the game.

“In the first half, with more starters, two very different things: how we played and how we competed, because we had some fantastic moments in the time we played.

“The way we competed especially in and around our box in a number of standards that we are used to, so there are things to improve obviously, some positives to take from the game and then a bad result sometimes it’s good to create even more fire in the belly.”

Arteta had selected the same team that comfortably defeated Girona 4-1 in Spain, but Arsenal were unable to reproduce that performance. Gyokeres almost gave his side an early lead, only for Betis goalkeeper Alvaro Valles to deny him with an excellent save.

Instead, Arsenal fell behind from a ninth-minute corner. Kepa Arrizabalaga misjudged Pablo Fornals’ delivery, allowing Rodrigo Riquelme to convert at the back post after being left unmarked.

Myles Lewis-Skelly was one of Arsenal’s brighter performers, operating in midfield while also covering for the attacking runs of Riccardo Calafiori from left-back. Tzolis also had an opportunity to equalise after intercepting a loose pass from Valles but failed to find the target.

Betis continued to punish Arsenal’s mistakes. Nelson Deossa doubled the advantage with a superb long-range strike after a poor clearance from Kepa, before Pablo Fornals added a third shortly before half-time following another costly error, this time after Havertz surrendered possession on the edge of his own penalty area.

Arsenal did briefly respond when Piero Hincapie headed home from a Tzolis corner in the 32nd minute after Valles failed to deal with the delivery, but it proved only a consolation in an otherwise disappointing evening.

Arteta made seven changes at the break, handing Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Magalhaes their first pre-season appearances after Brazil’s World Cup campaign.

Teenagers Marli Salmon and Louie Copley were also introduced, although Copley’s outing lasted just seven minutes after the 19-year-old suffered a knee injury when landing awkwardly while chasing a loose ball.

As further substitutions disrupted the rhythm of the contest, Arsenal struggled to build any sustained pressure. Gabriel Jesus came closest to reducing the deficit after the interval, but the Gunners were unable to mount a comeback as Arteta watched on with clear frustration from the touchline.

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FAQs

Why was Mikel Arteta unhappy after Arsenal’s defeat to Real Betis?

Arteta was disappointed with Arsenal’s defensive display, particularly the way his side competed around their own penalty area. He revealed his players were “fuming” after the performance and believes the defeat can help sharpen their focus before the new season.

Which Arsenal players were unavailable for their game against Real Betis?

Declan Rice, Eberechi Eze, Noni Madueke, Bukayo Saka, Mikel Merino, David Raya and Martin Zubimendi were all absent following their World Cup commitments. Martin Odegaard has returned to individual training but did not feature.

Which Arsenal players have returned from the World Cup?

Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Magalhaes both made their first pre-season appearances after representing Brazil at the World Cup.

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