After casting aside Girona in Catalonia at the weekend, Arsenal return to the British Isles and face Real Betis in Dublin on Wednesday evening.
The Gunners kicked off their preseason with a 4–1 victory over second-tier Spanish opposition at the Montilivi, with teenager Max Dowman and summer signing Christos Tzolis among the scorers.
Mikel Arteta insisted his team is “moving in the right direction” after the victory, although supporters are waiting patiently for a blockbuster arrival or two in the transfer market. Arsenal are trying to secure deals for Newcastle United’s Bruno Guimarães and Real Madrid superstar Vinícius Júnior.
Betis should represent a jump up in quality to Saturday’s opponent, who were relegated from La Liga last season. Betis, on the contrary, are back in the Champions League after finishing fifth in the division. Thus, these two teams could yet meet in Europe’s premier club competition in 2026–27.
Manuel Pellegrini’s side have already played five times this summer, and conceded just one goal, which came in a defeat to Granada. They’ve so far beaten Lotte, Recreativo de Huelva, Lyon and Almería, and have another friendly scheduled against Bournemouth before returning to Spain.
A huge season beckons for both teams, with Arsenal defending their Premier League crown and Betis competing in the Champions League for the first time since 2005–06.
Ex-Manchester City boss Pellegrini has led a mightily successful project in Seville, with Betis claiming Copa del Rey glory in 2022 and reaching the UEFA Conference League final on his watch.
They’ve had a busy preseason to date, while Arsenal are only getting started. The Gunners are cramming plenty in ahead of the 2026–27 campaign, concluding with Aug. 16’s Community Shield less than a week before the Premier League curtain-raiser against the newly-promoted Coventry City.
Arteta’s men were impressive and efficient in Girona, but Betis should provide a sterner test. It’s always tricky to predict friendlies, with managers using the extremities of their rosters, and Wednesday’s bout is likely to be a tight affair. Betis could actually benefit from their busy schedule to date, but Arsenal have the quality and system in place to triumph.
Gabriel and Gabriel Martinelli joined up with their teammates before the Girona friendly but were left off the roster. The two Brazilians should be involved here, having had more time to prepare.
Kai Havertz, Viktor Gyökeres and Piero Hincapié lasted just 30 minutes on Saturday, having each represented their respective nations at the World Cup. Their workloads should increase in Dublin.
An array of players are still enjoying time off after this summer’s tournament, but Martin Ødegaard is expected to return at some point this week. His fellow Scandi, Christian Nørgaard, has just completed a transfer to Everton.
Teenage sensation Dowman should keep his place on the right for as long as Bukayo Saka remains on vacation, as should Tzolis on the opposite flank.
