Arsenal concluded their pre-season tour of Spain and Ireland with a 3-1 defeat to Spanish side Real Betis at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium on Wednesday.
Real Betis raced into a two-goal lead through Riquelme and Nelson Deossa before Piero Hincapie pulled one back for Arsenal with a header from Christos Tzolis’ corner.
Former West Ham United midfielder Pablo Fornals restored Betis’ two-goal advantage before the break with a long-range strike as the La Liga side secured victory.
A post match report on the club’s website disclosed this.
The visitors opened the scoring inside 10 minutes after a corner evaded Arsenal’s defence and fell to Riquelme at the far post.
Deossa doubled Betis’ advantage midway through the first half with a powerful 30-yard effort into the top corner.
Arsenal responded through Hincapie, who headed home Tzolis’ inswinging corner, but Kai Havertz’s misplaced pass in his own half allowed Fornals to score from outside the penalty area before half-time.
Manager Mikel Arteta made seven changes at the break, handing Gabriel Magalhães and Gabriel Martinelli their first pre-season appearances.
However, 19-year-old defender Louie Copley was forced off with an injury just 10 minutes after coming on.
Arsenal goalkeeper Illan Meslier denied Isco after the restart, while Gabriel Jesus missed the target from Martinelli’s cut-back as neither side added to the scoreline.
The Gunners now return to England for two home friendlies, facing Borussia Dortmund in the Emirates Cup on Sunday before hosting Como next Wednesday.
Arsenal will then meet Manchester City in the FA Community Shield at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium on August 16 before opening their 2026-27 Premier League campaign at home to Coventry City on August 21.
Tosin Oyediran is a journalist at Punch Newspapers with over eight years of professional experience in reporting and storytelling. He is known for conducting incisive interviews and producing compelling human-angle stories that bring clarity and depth to the news. Tosin covers a broad range of beats including politics, health, advocacy, sports, and entertainment, with a strong focus on people-centred reporting. His work reflects firsthand newsroom experience, editorial insight, and a commitment to accurate, engaging, and trustworthy journalism.
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