Arsenal 1-3 Real Betis: Arteta fumes after sloppy display as Kepa error hands Gunners first pre-season defeat

Arsenal suffered their first defeat of pre-season as Real Betis claimed a convincing 3-1 victory in Dublin, with Mikel Arteta admitting his players were “fuming” after a series of costly defensive mistakes.

The Premier League champions were beaten at the Aviva Stadium in a match that exposed several defensive and midfield concerns ahead of the new season. A major error from Kepa Arrizabalaga helped Betis take an early lead, while Arsenal struggled to recover despite pulling one goal back before half-time.

Betis struck first in the ninth minute when Kepa came off his line but failed to claim a corner, allowing Rodrigo Riquelme to score at the far post. The Spanish side doubled their advantage through Nelson Deossa, whose powerful long-range effort left Arsenal chasing the game.

Arsenal briefly responded when new signing Christos Tzolis delivered a dangerous inswinging corner that was headed home by Piero Hincapie. However, the momentum was short-lived as Pablo Fornals restored Betis’ two-goal cushion just before the break after capitalising on a misplaced pass from Kai Havertz.

Arteta made sweeping changes in the second half, introducing several senior players including Gabriel and Gabriel Martinelli for their first appearances of pre-season. Despite enjoying more possession after the interval, Arsenal created few clear chances and were unable to reduce the deficit.

The defeat was made worse by a worrying injury to young goalkeeper Louie Copley, who was forced off with what appeared to be a serious knee problem shortly after the restart.

Speaking after the match, Arteta did not hide his frustration.

“Very upset. They are fuming, but this is good. That’s what we need,” the Arsenal manager said.

He added that while his team showed quality on the ball in spells, they failed to compete at the level required around their own penalty area.

“The first goal was sloppy, and then we gave away possession too close to our box. It’s better to make these mistakes in a friendly than in an official match, but we have to be much better,” Arteta explained.

Arsenal were still missing several key players following the World Cup, including Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard, but the performance highlighted why the club are pushing hard to complete the signing of Bruno Guimaraes from Newcastle. The Brazilian midfielder is expected to add experience, defensive stability and depth to a midfield that looked vulnerable throughout the first half.

While pre-season results are rarely decisive, the display gave Arteta plenty to think about before Arsenal continue their preparations against Borussia Dortmund and Como, ahead of the Community Shield clash with Manchester City.

For Arsenal, the defeat may ultimately prove useful — but the manner of it, particularly the defensive errors, ensured that this was a night that left the dressing room angry rather than satisfied.