Arsenal backed to maintain strong pre-season form against Real Betis in Dublin

Arsenal are priced at 1.63 to beat Real Betis Balompie in Wednesday’s friendly at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin, with the Gunners looking to build on their encouraging start to preparations for the 2026-27 season.

The match on 5 August kicks off at 18:30 GMT and will provide Arsenal with another opportunity to sharpen their squad before beginning their defence of the English league title. Their latest outing ended in a convincing 4-1 victory over Girona on 1 August, following an earlier 3-0 win against MK Dons.

Mahamad Sangare, presenter of the sports debate programme La VAR on Burkina info TV, believes Arsenal offer the more reliable option in the contest. His assessment is based on their results so far, although he also expects the friendly nature of the fixture and likely squad changes to create opportunities for both teams.

Arsenal have scored seven goals across their two pre-season matches, suggesting Mikel Arteta’s side are already producing attacking football and showing efficiency in the final third. Kai Havertz, Christos Tzolis, Max Dowman and Gabriel Jesus were all on target in the victory against Girona.

The game in Catalonia also allowed Arteta to rotate his squad and assess several players, including members of the younger group. Max Dowman made a particular impression by scoring once and providing an assist, while new signing Christos Tzolis also found the net.

Real Betis arrive with a different preparation profile. Manuel Pellegrini’s team have already played a sizeable number of friendly matches, giving them a potential advantage in terms of match fitness over an Arsenal side that only recently began its pre-season programme.

The Andalusian club recorded three wins in their first four preparation fixtures. Their schedule has included games against Sportfreunde Lotte, Recreativo Huelva and Granada, followed by meetings with Olympique Lyonnais on 29 July and Almeria on 1 August. The trip to Dublin comes only four days after the Almeria match.

Arsenal squad update

Arsenal’s squad remains affected by injuries, rehabilitation programmes and absences linked to the World Cup.

William Saliba is unavailable because of a back injury that requires an extended period on the sidelines. Jurrien Timber is also a major doubt after undergoing minor groin surgery during the summer and continuing his recovery.

Ben White has returned to training while he works his way back from a knee injury, but Arsenal are expected to manage his minutes carefully. Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice and Eberechi Eze are among the senior players still recovering after the World Cup and are not expected to return before 10 August, ruling them out of the Betis match.

Real Betis concerns

Real Betis also have several players whose fitness will need to be assessed before kick-off. Diego Conde has been affected by a shoulder problem, while Ez Abde and Aitor Ruibal have also experienced physical issues.

Diego Llorente and Natan have dealt with fitness concerns in recent months, meaning their availability and playing time could depend on the final decisions of the medical team and coaching staff.

Despite those uncertainties, Betis retain considerable experience. Isco, Antony, Giovani Lo Celso, Marc Bartra and Cedric Bakambu are among the established players capable of adding quality against the Gunners.

The meeting is notable because Arsenal and Real Betis Balompie have rarely faced one another. There is no significant record of official meetings between the clubs in the Champions League or Europa League, despite both sides regularly competing in European football. Their paths have simply not crossed often.

As a result, the Dublin fixture is primarily a high-level summer test rather than part of a long-running rivalry. Sangare’s view is that Arsenal currently provide more guarantees, particularly after their positive opening to pre-season.

He considers an Arsenal victory the safer selection, while acknowledging that both teams possess attacking threats and that rotation in a friendly may lead to further chances. The recommendation is regarded as a medium-risk bet because this remains a preparation match and the teams are likely to make changes.

Odds can change.