Arsenal suffered a 3-1 defeat to Real Betis in an entertaining pre-season friendly as the Spanish side produced a clinical display to claim victory.

Real Betis made a bright start and took the lead after just nine minutes when Rodrigo Riquelme finished off a well-worked move following an assist from Pablo Fornals.

The Spanish outfit doubled their advantage in the 26th minute as Nelson Deossa converted another chance created by the influential Fornals.

Arsenal responded six minutes later through new defender Piero Hincapié, who headed home from Christos Tzolis’ delivery to reduce the deficit and give the Gunners hope of a comeback.

However, Betis restored their two-goal cushion before the break. Pablo Fornals capped an outstanding first-half performance by finding the net himself in the 43rd minute after being set up by Deossa, making it 3-1 heading into halftime.

Mikel Arteta made sweeping changes after the interval, introducing Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Martinelli, Gabriel Magalhães, Reiss Nelson, Fábio Vieira and several academy prospects in a bid to freshen the team and test different combinations.

Despite enjoying more possession in the second half, Arsenal struggled to create clear-cut opportunities against a disciplined Betis defence.

The visitors managed the game well, limiting the Gunners’ attacking threat while remaining dangerous on the counterattack.

The match also gave several young Arsenal players valuable minutes as the club continued preparations for the new campaign.

Although the result was disappointing, the encounter provided useful lessons for Arteta, particularly in defensive organisation and converting possession into meaningful chances.

For Real Betis, the victory was an encouraging performance, with Pablo Fornals emerging as the standout player after contributing a goal and two assists in an impressive attacking display.

The Spanish side will take plenty of confidence from the win as they continue their own pre-season preparations ahead of the 2026/27 campaign.