Arsenal fall 3-1 to Real Betis in final pre-season game

Arsenal concluded their pre-season tour with a 3-1 defeat against Spanish side Real Betis at Dublin's Aviva Stadium. The Spanish team established a commanding two-goal lead early in the match through goals from Riquelme and Nelson Deossa. Piero Hincapie managed to pull one back for Arsenal with a header from a Christos Tzolis corner, but former West Ham United midfielder Pablo Fornals restored Betis' two-goal advantage before halftime with a long-range strike.

Real Betis opened the scoring within the first 10 minutes when a corner kick evaded Arsenal's defense, allowing Riquelme to capitalize at the far post. Midway through the first half, Deossa extended Betis' lead with a powerful 30-yard shot into the top corner. Arsenal responded through Hincapie's header, but a misplaced pass by Kai Havertz in his own half led to Fornals scoring from outside the penalty area, sealing a dominant first-half performance for the La Liga side.

Manager Mikel Arteta made significant changes at halftime, introducing Gabriel Magalhães and Gabriel Martinelli for their first pre-season appearances. However, the team faced another setback when 19-year-old defender Louie Copley was forced off with an injury shortly after coming on. Despite chances for both sides in the second half, including saves by Arsenal goalkeeper Illan Meslier and a missed opportunity by Gabriel Jesus, neither team managed to add to the scoreline.

The Gunners will now return to England for two more home friendlies. They are scheduled to face Borussia Dortmund in the Emirates Cup on Sunday, followed by a match against Como next Wednesday. Arsenal's pre-season campaign will conclude with the FA Community Shield match against Manchester City at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium on August 16, before they begin their 2026-27 Premier League season at home against Coventry City on August 21.