Arsenal were punished for a lackadaisical performance as they were beaten 3–1 by Real Betis in a preseason friendly in Dublin.
The Gunners had ran out emphatic 4–1 winners over Girona in their first friendly of the summer in front of supporters, but their latest Spanish opponents were quick off the mark at Aviva Stadium as Rodrigo Riquelme fired home in the ninth minute. Nelson Deossa’s stunner then doubled Betis’ advantage midway through the first half.
Piero Hincapié pulled one back for Arsenal from a corner delivered by new recruit Christos Tzolis, but Pablo Fornals deservedly restored the two-goal cushion for Betis on the stroke of halftime.
Mikel Arteta made wholesale changes at halftime and throughout the second period, handing a host of young guns invaluable opportunities. However, Arsenal were unable to stage a comeback of any description as they slumped to a first defeat of the summer.
Familiar Problems for Kepa
There have been suggestions Kepa Arrizabalaga won’t last the summer as an Arsenal player—exit rumors only intensified following the arrival of free agent Illan Meslier from Leeds United—and Wednesday’s opportunity to reassert himself as a viable understudy to David Raya hardly went to plan.
The Spaniard was culpable for both of Betis’ opening two goals as his flaws were brutally exposed.
For the opener, Kepa found himself in no man’s land, advancing to claim Fornals’s corner kick but completely misreading the flight of the cross. A slight nudge knocked him off course and allowed Riquelme to fire home unmarked at the far post, with Kepa’s half-hearted protestations for a foul rightly falling on deaf ears. It was simply weak goalkeeping.
The 31-year-old’s distribution then came under the microscope as Betis notched their second. A skewed clearance gifted possession back to Arsenal’s opponents, who worked the ball nicely to Deossa on the edge of the area. An unstoppable strike followed as Kepa helplessly sprung to his left.
Kepa’s costly mistake in last season’s Carabao Cup final only underscored the drop-off from Raya, and he’s done little to restore his reputation since. This was yet more evidence of his shortcomings.
Makeshift Midfield Struggles
With Declan Rice, Martín Zubimendi and Martin Ødegaard among those absent as they recover from their World Cup exploits, Arteta was forced to name an unfamiliar trio in the engine room. Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri were utilized in deeper roles, while Kai Havertz operated in more advanced positions.
However, somewhat unsurprisingly given the personnel on display, a makeshift midfield proved alarmingly porous.
Betis were the dominant force during an extremely subpar first half from Arsenal, direct counter-attacks causing Arteta’s men particular problems. A weak defensive shield failed to protect the back four, which faced seven shots—six of which were on target—and conceded thrice before the break.
There was simply not enough intensity out of possession, hence why Betis were able to net twice from range under zero pressure. The misplaced pass from Havertz which gifted Fornals his chance to score summed up an utterly lethargic display.
Arsenal supporters won’t be too worried, with the majority of their first-choice midfield still missing. But the likes of Lewis-Skelly and Nwaneri, both of whom are fighting for more prominent roles, did little to convince Arteta of their merit—a major mistake ahead of Bruno Guimarães’s imminent arrival.
Heartbreak for Teenage Gem
Preseason provides the perfect stage for emerging talents to strut their stuff, but Louie Copley, one of Arsenal’s leading academy stars, was afforded just 11 minutes to shine before his day was cut cruelly short by injury.
The 19-year midfielder spent the second half of last season on loan at Crawley Town and has garnered attention for his indefatigable displays and maturity at such a tender age. With so many midfielders missing, this summer was an excellent opportunity for Copley to sparkle, but Lady Luck had other ideas.
Only a halftime substitute himself, the teenager hobbled off the field in visible discomfort and with an understandably agonized look across his face. After getting his studs caught in the turf, Copley appeared to twist his knee, a setback which could rule him out for the rest of Arsenal’s preseason festivities.
The youngster will desperately hope for a speedy recovery, but the early signs aren’t promising.
No Reason to Panic
Mountains are often made out of molehills in preseason. An underwhelming display or hefty defeat can send supporters spiraling, especially on social media, but there’s no reason for Arteta to be overly concerned by Wednesday’s result.
Sure, Arsenal failed to inspire and there were some disappointing individual showings, but the Premier League champions are still without a raft of first-team members. The midfield has been decimated, first-choice goalkeeper Raya is yet to return and the absence of Bukayo Saka and Noni Madueke cannot be ignored.
Arsenal suffered preseason defeats to Tottenham Hotspur and Villarreal before proceeding to have a phenomenal 2025–26 campaign, once again highlighting how unimportant friendly results are ahead of the new term.
The Gunners still have three matches to play before their Premier League title defense begins, and plenty of time to build up match sharpness.
