Goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga came off his line but failed to collect a corner as Real Betis took a ninth-minute lead against Arsenal in a friendly at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium on Wednesday.
The reigning Premier League champions fell behind when Kepa, whose £71 million move from Athletic Club to Chelsea in 2018 remains the record fee for a goalkeeper, allowed a cross to bounce across goal before being lashed in by the grateful Rodrigo Riquelme.
Real Betis strike first at the Aviva! 🌴
— Premier Sports (@PremSportsTV) August 5, 2026
Riquelme takes advantage of poor Arsenal defending at the corner to open the scoring 👀 pic.twitter.com/1ubVDayElP
“He came into traffic and lacked conviction,” former Ireland international Damien Delaney told Premier Sports, dismissing Kepa’s claims that he had been fouled.
“He’s got to be stronger there. He gets nudged off that ball and it’s an absolute calamitous start for Kepa… he makes an atrocious error.”
Nelson Deossa…what a hit! 😱😱
— Premier Sports (@PremSportsTV) August 5, 2026
Real Betis double their lead over Arsenal with a stunning strike and Mikel Arteta doesn't look happy 🌴 pic.twitter.com/4J5QnjOury
Arsenal vs Real Betis: Kepa culpable for goal
Kepa’s only Premier League appearance last season came with a start in Arsenal’s final match of the top-flight campaign at Crystal Palace, when the Gunners had already won the title.
With first-choice goalkeeper David Raya resting following his run to World Cup glory with Spain, Kepa was making his second consecutive start of pre-season.
“When you’re coming for crosses like that, you’ve got to have peripheral vision,” suggested Delaney.
“You have your eyes on the ball but, out of the corner of your eye, you have to see where the opposition players are.
“If you need to take a side step around them, that’s what you do. There was a slight contact or a brushing of an attacker, but you’ve got to be stronger there.”
Arsenal team vs Real Betis
Arsenal were unchanged from their 4-1 win at Girona the previous Saturday.
Full-back Jurrien Timber remained out with a groin problem and defender Piero Hincapie and forwards Viktor Gyokeres and Kai Havertz started again, among their players to have featured at the World Cup 2026.
Brazil pair Gabriel Magalhaes and Gabriel Martinelli had trained, with the forward on the bench after not being part of the matchday squad against Girona.
Arsenal starting XI: Kepa Arrizabalaga, Ben White, Cristhian Mosquera, Piero Hincapie, Riccardo Calafiori, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Kai Havertz, Ethan Nwaneri, Max Dowman, Christos Tzolis, Viktor Gyokeres
Arsenal substitutes: llan Meslier, Khari Ranson, Gabriel Jesus, Fabio Vieira, Gabriel Martinelli Reiss Nelson, Demiane Agustien, Brayden Clarke, Louie Copley, Andre Harriman-Annous, Ife Ibrahim, Theo Julienne, Ismael Kabia, Josh Ogunnaike, Ceadach O’Neill
Betis full line up vs Arsenal
Winger Pablo Garcia was the only Betis player to keep his place from their 1-0 win over Almeria four days earlier.
Among their new signings, Facundo Bernal featured in midfield and Fran Garcia was at left-back.
Real Betis starting XI: Alvaro Valles, Hector Bellerin, Marc Bartra, Natan, Fran Garcia, Francisco Bernal, Gnangoro, Pablo Fornals, Pablo Garcia, Rodrigo Riquelme, Nelson Deossa
Betis substitutes: Guilherme Fernandes Yan, Diego Gonzalez, Diego Llorente, Antony, Sergio Gomez, Ismael Alarcon, Junior Firpo, Pablo Morant, Marcos Rica, Angel Ortiz
Where to watch Arsenal vs Betis: TV channel, online live stream
Kick-off on Wednesdsay was at 19:45 BST (14:45 ET / 11:45 PT). Live TV coverage in the UK is on Premier Sports 1, with streaming available on a vast range of devices via the Premier Sports app.
A Premier Sports subscription costs £130 a year, £12.99 per month on a 12-month contract or £17.99 per month with 30 days’ cancellation notice required.
A discount is available for customers using the code ARSENAL. For details on the offer and where to watch the match elsewhere around the world, visit Arsenal’s website.
Arsenal vs Real Betis stats
- While Arsenal won the English title last season, Betis sealed Champions League qualification with the help of a run of one defeat in their final nine league matches, that loss coming against champions Barcelona
- They met an English side in the opening game of their Europa League campaign, drawing 2-2 at home to Nottingham Forest
- That was part of a six-match unbeaten start in Europe, their Europa League season ending with a 5-3 aggregate defeat to Braga in the quarter-finals
- Betis have won one of their nine competitive meetings with English sides (D2 L7), beating Chelsea 1-0 at home in the Champions League group stage in November 2005
- Since then, Betis have drawn 0-0 at Liverpool in the Champions League, lost 4-1 away and 1-0 at home to Manchester United in the Europa League and been beaten 4-1 by Chelsea in the 2024/25 Conference League final
- Arsenal took on two Spanish sides in pre-season in 2025/26, losing to Villarreal after normal time and in a subsequent penalty shootout at the Emirates Stadium before reversing their fortunes in both instances against Athletic Club at home three days later
- They were unbeaten in four competitive meetings with Spanish clubs last season, defeating Athletic Club and Atletico Madrid during the Champions League group stage before drawing away to Atleti and beating them at home in the semi-finals
- Having lost on penalties to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final in Budapest in May, Arsenal have failed to win five of their last nine games away from the Emirates Stadium (W4 L3 D2)
- This is Arsenal’s first pre-season trip to Ireland since August 2018, drawing 1-1 with Chelsea before winning on penalties
- The Gunners won 4-2 at Irish side Dundalk during the Europa League group stage in 2020, scoring through Joe Willock, Folarin Balogun, Eddie Nketiah and Mo Elneny
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