Arsenal fans have already started to question two of their players after the team suffered a disappointing 3-1 defeat to Real Betis.
Just a few days before facing Borussia Dortmund in the Emirates Cup final, Arsenal travelled to Dublin on Wednesday to take on La Liga side Real Betis at the Aviva Stadium.
After a convincing 4-1 victory over Girona in their previous pre-season match, Arsenal entered the game with confidence. However, Betis took the lead after only nine minutes.
Rodrigo Riquelme scored the opening goal before Nelson Deossa doubled the Spanish side’s advantage just before the 30-minute mark.
Piero Hincapie later scored for “The Gunners” to reduce the gap, but former West Ham United midfielder Pablo Fornals added a third goal to secure the win for Real Betis.
Although there are still more than two weeks before the Premier League season begins, the defeat has worried many Arsenal supporters. On social media, two players have received the most criticism.
After helping Spain win the World Cup this summer, David Raya has not yet played in pre-season. As a result, backup goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga started against Betis.
Another surprise was Kai Havertz, who was selected to play in midfield instead of his usual attacking role.
One fan wrote on X: “For the love of God can we PLEASE stop this Havertz in midfield gimmick. Every game it’s the same s*. What the f*** is he actually doing? And Kepa, you’re a f***g disaster. Get him out of this club immediately.”
Another supporter simply asked: “Btw how’s Havertz not for sale?”
A different fan blamed manager Mikel Arteta, saying: “Shocking stuff but that’s what happens when you have a moron of a manager still playing Havertz in midfield unfortunately. He just loves to show how wrong he is time and time again, deserved what he got.”
After the match, many fans continued to share similar opinions. Some believe Kepa should become Arsenal’s third-choice goalkeeper, while summer signing Ilan Meslier should move up to second choice.
At the same time, many supporters feel Havertz should only play as a centre-forward, where he can compete with Viktor Gyokeres for a starting place.
Christos Tzolis Continues to Impress Despite Arsenal Defeat
Despite the disappointing result, Arsenal fans still had one positive performance to celebrate, as new signing Christos Tzolis impressed once again.
The Greek winger joined Arsenal from Club Brugge in a £34 million deal and made a strong first impression by scoring on his debut against Girona.
Although Tzolis did not score against Real Betis, he was again one of Arsenal’s best players and provided the assist for Hincapie’s goal.
The 24-year-old is expected to become a regular starter under Mikel Arteta this season after Leandro Trossard left the club earlier in the transfer window.
