Arsenal endured a difficult afternoon defensively as they were beaten 3-1 by Real Betis in a pre-season friendly, with a shaky first-half display proving costly against Manuel Pellegrini's side.
Mikel Arteta made no changes to the team that had beaten Girona in their previous outing, sticking with Kai Havertz, Ethan Nwaneri and new arrival Cristos Tzolis in the starting XI. Despite surviving some early pressure, the Gunners eventually cracked under sustained Betis attacks and found themselves chasing the game before the break.
The opening goal arrived when Kepa Arrizabalaga failed to deal with a corner delivery, spilling the ball into the path of Rodrigo Riquelme, who had gone unmarked at the back post to tap home from close range. Arsenal's issues continued shortly after when Nelson Deossa was given far too much time and space on the edge of the box, allowing him to curl a fine strike into the top corner that gave the goalkeeper no chance.
Arsenal briefly threatened a way back into the contest when Piero Hincapie capitalised on an error from Betis goalkeeper Valles at a set piece to halve the deficit. However, any momentum was short-lived, as former West Ham midfielder Pablo Fornals restored the two-goal cushion just before half-time. Havertz was caught in possession cheaply in a dangerous area, and Fornals punished the mistake by slotting the ball into the net to make it 3-1.
The second period was a far quieter affair by comparison, with neither side finding the back of the net again. Arsenal struggled to generate any meaningful pressure going forward and offered little indication that a comeback was in the works. If anything, it was Betis who continued to look the more threatening side, with both Isco and Riquelme coming close to adding further goals.
Arteta used the closing stages to hand valuable minutes to Gabriel and Gabriel Martinelli, with both players featuring for roughly half an hour as the Arsenal boss continued to manage his squad's fitness levels ahead of the new season. There was, however, a concerning moment late on when young academy player Louie Copley appeared to sustain a serious injury after his studs became caught in the turf, though further details on the extent of the issue were not immediately available.
The result will give Arteta plenty to think about defensively as his side continue their pre-season preparations. Kepa's error for the opener and the ease with which Deossa was allowed to shoot from range will be areas of particular concern, while the mistake that led to Fornals' goal underlined a lack of composure in possession during a stretch of the match.
Despite the defeat, pre-season results are rarely a cause for major alarm, and Arsenal will have the chance to put things right quickly. The Gunners' next test comes against Borussia Dortmund in the Emirates Cup on Sunday afternoon, a fixture that will offer another opportunity to assess squad depth and fine-tune performances before competitive action resumes.
Based on reporting from Standard Sport.