Mikel Arteta revealed his Arsenal squad's anger after a 3-1 pre-season defeat to Real Betis in Dublin this week. The manager told Futbol Chronicle that a goalkeeping error from Kepa Arrizabalaga set the tone for a sloppy performance the Premier League champions could not overcome.
Arteta did not hide the dressing room mood after the final whistle at the Aviva Stadium. "They are fuming, but this is good. That's what we need," he said. The loss was Arsenal's first of their summer preparations, coming in a match the club had framed as a fitness exercise. Even so, the nature of the goals conceded, including Kepa's failure to claim a corner and two giveaways near their own box, provided a clear wake-up call.
What went wrong for Arsenal?
Arsenal fell behind early when Kepa misjudged a corner, allowing Rodrigo Riquelme to score. Nelson Deossa then doubled Betis's lead with a powerful long-range strike. A Christos Tzolis corner, headed in by Piero Hincapie, offered brief hope before a Kai Havertz pass error led to Pablo Fornals sealing the 3-1 win. Arteta pointed to a lack of competitive edge in defensive areas as the core issue. "The compete part, especially in and around our box, was not at our standards to win a football match against a good side," he explained.
The midfield, missing Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard due to post-World Cup breaks, struggled for control. The trio of Myles Lewis-Skelly, Ethan Nwaneri and Kai Havertz found it difficult against Betis's press. Lewis-Skelly completed 70 passes but lacked the defensive presence of a specialist like the incoming Bruno Guimaraes. Arsenal have agreed a £75m fee with Newcastle for the Brazilian, according to the report, highlighting the area they aim to strengthen.
How did Arteta frame the defeat?
The Arsenal manager was careful to contextualise the result within pre-season. "It's always good when you lose a match in pre-season, it creates a bit more fire in the belly," Arteta stated. He emphasised that such mistakes are better made in friendlies than competitive games. The club made seven changes at half-time, introducing Gabriel and Gabriel Martinelli for their first minutes of the summer, but the fresh legs could not spark a comeback.
Arteta's message focused on using the defeat as a tool for improvement rather than a cause for alarm. He wants the frustration to fuel the squad's preparation for the upcoming Community Shield clash with Manchester City and the Premier League title defence. You can see the build-up to that campaign on our fixtures page.
What does this mean for the squad?
The performance underscored the ongoing need for midfield reinforcement, with Guimaraes's arrival seen as critical. The report notes that Arsenal's summer has focused on incremental adds, like the £34m signing of winger Christos Tzolis from Club Brugge, rather than a major squad overhaul. Selling fringe players, such as Christian Norgaard's £7m move to Everton, has helped fund these deals.
In goal, Kepa's error will increase scrutiny on his role as cover for David Raya. Illan Meslier, who played the second half, made a smart save to deny Isco. With key players still returning, the Dublin trip served its primary purpose of building fitness. The current squad depth and player statistics are available on our squad and stats pages. Arteta will hope the defeat provides the necessary jolt as his full squad reassembles for the serious business ahead.
