Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta says the defeat will ignite the team's competitive spirit.

Arsenal suffered their first defeat of the summer preseason in a 1-3 loss to Real Betis in a preseason friendly in Dublin.

Despite the poor result, head coach Mikel Arteta said in a post-match interview that the loss provided the team with a valuable learning opportunity and could help the players build a stronger desire to win.

The match was held at the Avignon Stadium. Arsenal displayed good attacking organization in the first half, but missed several scoring opportunities, allowing their opponents to capitalize on mistakes and score three goals in quick succession. As the training camp with Spain and Ireland was nearing its end, Arteta rotated 25 players during the match to help them regain their competitive form.

Speaking about the performance and defeat in this match, Arteta said: "I am disappointed with the result because we came here to win. We played some great attacks in the first half, but we should have taken advantage of our chances to score before the opponent scored."

"I was very unhappy with how we conceded the first goal, and the next two goals were also due to our own mistakes. To win the game, we must be more competitive in key areas, and that's what we learned today."

Regarding the extensive player rotation and the impact of this defeat, Arteta added: "We used a lot of players, which definitely caused the game to lose continuity and rhythm."

"But the players are in different stages of recovery, and we can't risk getting injured. Experiencing a loss in the preseason is actually a good thing; it can ignite everyone's anger."

Image source: Internet/Arsenal official website