Photo: Payo / Public domain / Wikimedia Commons
Arsenal ended their pre-season training camp in Spain and Ireland with a 1-3 defeat against Real Betis at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin on Tuesday.
Real Betis took the lead inside ten minutes when a corner reached Riquelme unmarked at the far post. Nelson Deossa then doubled the advantage with a long-range strike from nearly 30 yards that flew into the top corner.
Arsenal pulled one back through Piero Hincapie, who headed home from a perfectly flighted inswinging corner delivered by Christos Tzolis. The goal gave Arsenal brief hope, but Pablo Fornals — formerly of West Ham — restored Betis's two-goal lead before half-time with a precise finish from outside the area.
The scoreline remained 3-1 after the interval. Mikel Arteta made seven changes at half-time, handing Gabriel Magalhaes and Gabriel Martinelli their first pre-season minutes. Teenager Louie Copley, 19, was forced off with injury just ten minutes after coming on at right back.
Illan Meslier made a smart low stop to deny Isco, while Gabriel Jesus missed the target late on following Martinelli's cutback. The 51,000-capacity stadium was filled almost entirely by Arsenal supporters.
Attention now turns to Emirates Stadium, where Arsenal face Borussia Dortmund in the Emirates Cup on Sunday, followed by Como the following Wednesday. The side then meet Manchester City in the Community Shield at the Millennium Stadium on August 16 before opening their Premier League campaign at home to Coventry City on August 21.