Arsenal 1-3 Real Betis: All Goals & Full Match Highlights Video [2026 Pre-season]

In a pre-season friendly held at Dublin's Aviva Stadium, Premier League champions Arsenal suffered a disappointing 1-3 defeat to Real Betis in what was a revealing first-half performance. The match, which kicked off after a 15-minute delay due to traffic, saw Betis take control early after a costly error from goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga. Rushing off his line to claim a Pablo Fornals corner, Kepa completely missed the ball, leaving Rodrigo Riquelme with an empty net to fire into for the opener in the 9th minute. The situation worsened for the Gunners in the 26th minute when Nelson Deossa unleashed an unstoppable rocket from 30 yards that flew into the top-right corner, leaving the keeper with no chance. Arsenal pulled one back at the 32nd minute through a classic set-piece goal, with Piero Hincapie powerfully heading in from a superb Christos Tzolis corner after Betis's goalie Alvaro Valles had mishandled the ball. Any hopes of a comeback, however, were dashed just before the half-time whistle when Kai Havertz gave away possession cheaply in midfield. This allowed Pablo Fornals to stride forward and drill a low shot into the bottom-left corner from outside the area, restoring Betis's two-goal cushion at 3-1. Mikel Arteta introduced seven substitutes at the break including Gabriel Jesus and the returning Gabriel Martinelli, but the second half was largely a subdued affair. Betis, managed by Manuel Pellegrini, were comfortable in defense and even threatened to extend their lead through Isco, whose close-range backheel was brilliantly saved by Arsenal's substitute keeper Illan Meslier. The defeat highlighted familiar defensive frailties for Arsenal, especially from dead-ball situations. The Athletic noted that the Gunners generated an expected goals (xG) of 2.0 but managed only two shots on target, underscoring their lack of clinical edge. The Spanish side, in contrast, were ruthless, hitting the target with seven of their ten attempts, with Fornals creating a game-high four chances. This result serves as a stark reminder for Arteta that many issues need resolution before their upcoming Community Shield clash with Manchester City.