Arsenal suffer pre-season warning as Real Betis expose gaps in Mikel Arteta’s squad

Mikel Arteta was left visibly frustrated after Arsenal were beaten 3-1 by Real Betis in Dublin, a result that offered an early warning about the scale of the task facing the manager before the new season begins.

The friendly at the Aviva Stadium was Arsenal’s first serious test of pre-season against opposition competing in the Champions League. After a closed-door fixture against MK Dons that was little more than a training exercise and a 4-1 victory over Girona on Saturday, the meeting with Real Betis provided a much clearer assessment of Arteta’s squad.

Arsenal struggled to match their opponents and were ultimately beaten comfortably, with several individual errors contributing to the defeat. The performance also highlighted the limited depth available to Arteta while a number of key players remain absent, including Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice and the injured William Saliba.

The Sun reported that Arteta’s animated reaction on the touchline in Dublin showed his awareness that Arsenal will not be able to challenge successfully for another major trophy with their current squad alone.

The involvement of players such as Reiss Nelson and Fabio Vieira underlined the need for further recruitment this summer. Arsenal are already expected to strengthen, with the imminent arrival of Bruno Guimaraes in a deal worth £75m set to add quality to the team.

However, the report says there is still significant work to do. Arsenal’s ambitious pursuit of Vinicius Junior could be complicated by claims that Real Madrid have offered the forward a more lucrative contract.

Kepa Arrizabalaga endured an especially difficult evening. The Spanish goalkeeper was at fault for Real Betis’ opening goal after failing to deal with a corner, allowing Riquelme to find space unmarked at the far post and finish with ease.

Kepa was also partly responsible for the second. His attempted clearance gave possession back to Real Betis, and Nelson Deossa punished the mistake with a superb long-range strike into the top corner.

There was a brief response from Arsenal when Christos Tzolis delivered an outstanding corner for Piero Hincapie to head home and reduce the deficit. The set-piece offered some encouragement from one of Arteta’s latest investments.

But another mistake before half-time allowed Real Betis to restore their two-goal advantage. Kai Havertz gave the ball away with an inaccurate pass, presenting Pablo Fornals with the opportunity to score Real Betis’ third goal past Kepa.

A series of substitutions after the interval disrupted the rhythm of the match, and Arsenal never managed to establish enough control to threaten a comeback. They eventually finished on the wrong side of a 3-1 scoreline.

The defeat came during a pre-season complicated by the absence of several prominent players, and that provides some context for Arsenal’s underwhelming display. Even so, the result served as a stark reminder that Arteta may need further additions if he is to take the club to a higher level this season.

For Arsenal, the match was less about the result than the evidence it provided. Their current options contain clear weaknesses, and Arteta now faces pressure to bring in the quality required for the team to compete at the top end of the campaign.