Defensive errors cost Arsenal in friendly defeat to Real Betis in Dublin
PA Sport Staff
Arsenal were punished for defensive errors as they slipped to a 3-1 friendly defeat to Real Betis at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin.
The Premier League champions fell behind to first-half goals from Rodrigo Riquelme and Nelson Deossa and although the Gunners hit back through Piero Hincapie, Pablo Fornals struck a third for Betis before the break.
Mikel Arteta named an unchanged line-up after his side won Saturday’s opening friendly match 4-1 in Spain against Girona, but they fell behind in the ninth minute when goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga failed to make contact with a corner and Riquelme lashed home at the back post.
Christos Tzolis failed to take advantage for Arsenal when Betis goalkeeper Alvaro Valles passed the ball straight to the Gunners’ summer signing before Deossa put the visitors 2-0 up with a 30-yard thunderbolt into the top corner.
Arsenal reduced the deficit when Valles misjudged a corner from Tzolis for Hincapie to head home, but Betis restored their two-goal advantage before the break as former West Ham midfielder Fornals swept the ball beyond a stationary Kepa following Kai Havertz’s misplaced pass.
Arteta made wholesale changes at half-time, with 16-year-old Marli Salmon appearing at centre-half, and neither side created a clear-cut scoring chance as the game lost its momentum.
