Mikel Arteta says Arsenal’s players were “fuming” after their 3-1 pre-season loss to Real Betis, insisting the defeat could prove valuable ahead of the new Premier League season.
Mikel Arteta believes Arsenal’s disappointing pre-season defeat to Real Betis could become a turning point ahead of the new campaign, revealing his players were “fuming” after the final whistle.
The Premier League champions suffered a 3-1 defeat in Dublin on Wednesday after a disastrous first-half defensive display allowed the Spanish side to seize control of the contest. Rodrigo Riquelme, Nelson Deossa and Pablo Fornals all found the net before Piero Hincapie pulled one back for Arsenal before the break.
More pre-season minutes in the tank ⛽ pic.twitter.com/uPb40He22p
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) August 5, 2026
Rather than dwell on the result, Arteta welcomed the frustration shown by his squad, insisting the anger inside the dressing room is exactly what he wants to see as Arsenal prepare to defend their Premier League title.
“They are very upset and they are fuming, but this is good. That’s what we need,” Arteta told reporters after the match. “There are things to improve, obviously, some positives to take from the game, and sometimes a bad result creates even more fire in the belly.”
Despite missing several key players, Arsenal still fielded a strong starting XI. Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, Eberechi Eze, Noni Madueke and captain Martin Odegaard were all unavailable, but Viktor Gyokeres, Kai Havertz and summer signing Christos Tzolis all featured from the start.
With Arsenal set to begin the defence of their Premier League crown against Coventry City on August 21, Arteta will hope the defeat serves as a timely wake-up call. The Spaniard has repeatedly stressed that standards must continue to rise if the Gunners are to remain at the top, and the response from his players suggests they share that mentality heading into the new season.
