Mikel Arteta was left visibly frustrated as Arsenal suffered a 3-1 defeat by Real Betis in Dublin, exposing concerns about the depth and quality of his squad before the new season.
The friendly at the Aviva Stadium was Arsenal’s first serious pre-season test against opposition competing in the Champions League, and they were comfortably beaten by the Spanish side.
Their earlier behind-closed-doors match against MK Dons had effectively been a training exercise, while Saturday’s 4-1 victory over Girona was a straightforward win against a second-tier team. The meeting with Real Betis offered a far more demanding examination, but Arsenal failed to meet it.
According to The Sun, Arteta’s reaction on the touchline suggested he knows Arsenal will not be able to challenge for another major trophy with their current options alone.
The involvement of players such as Reiss Nelson and Fabio Vieira underlined the scale of the task facing the Arsenal manager as he attempts to strengthen his squad before the transfer window closes.
There was some mitigation for Arsenal, with a number of their leading players still absent following their international commitments. Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice were among those missing, while William Saliba was also unavailable because of injury.
However, the performance offered Arteta a clear indication that further additions may be required if Arsenal are to compete at the highest level throughout the coming campaign.
The expected arrival of Bruno Guimaraes in a deal worth £75m would provide a significant boost, although the report says considerable work remains to be done. Arsenal’s ambitious pursuit of Vinicius Junior could also be complicated by claims that Real Madrid have offered the Brazil forward a more lucrative contract.
Arsenal’s defensive problems were highlighted by their opening concession. Kepa Arrizabalaga failed to deal properly with a corner, leaving Riquelme unmarked at the far post and allowing him to finish without difficulty.
The Spanish goalkeeper was also partly at fault for the second goal. His attempted clearance presented possession to Real Betis, enabling Nelson Deossa to produce an outstanding long-range strike into the top corner.
There was a brief positive response from Arsenal when Christos Tzolis delivered an excellent corner for Piero Hincapie to head home and reduce the deficit.
But another individual error allowed Real Betis to restore their two-goal advantage before half-time. Kai Havertz gave the ball away with an inaccurate pass, and Pablo Fornals took advantage by scoring the visitors’ third goal past Kepa.
A series of substitutions after the interval disrupted the rhythm of the game, leaving Arsenal unable to build momentum as they slipped to a 3-1 loss.
The result came in pre-season, but it delivered a sharp warning to Arteta. If Arsenal are to secure a notable achievement this season, the evidence from Dublin suggests they will need to add more established, high-quality players to their squad.
