Overview
- Arsenal lost 3-1 to Real Betis in a pre-season friendly at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium, with all four goals conceded in the first half.
- Mikel Arteta said senior players were ‘‘very upset’’ and ‘‘fuming’’ and blamed poor ‘‘compete’’ levels, especially around Arsenal’s penalty area.
- Real Betis opened a two-goal lead through Rodrigo Riquelme and Nelson Deossa, Piero Hincapie pulled one back for Arsenal, and Pablo Fornals restored Betis’s two-goal cushion before half-time.
- Arsenal used 25 players as the manager rotated the squad and introduced academy prospects in the second half, with 18-year-old Ceadach O’Neill earning special praise from Arteta.
- Key senior players returned to action in Dublin and now face a fitness race to be ready for competitive games, including the Emirates Cup friendlies and the Community Shield on August 16.