Arsenal vs Real Betis
The 2026 Premier League champions Arsenal are making the short trip to Ireland on Wednesday to take on Manuel Pellegrini’s Real Betis in what promises to be an entertaining warm-up for the upcoming campaigns.
Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal were impressive in their opener against Girona, winning 4-1, and in Los Verdiblancos they face a stiff test and will come up against an old friend in wing-back Hector Bellerin.
This Club Friendly will be a treat for local fans and not too far to travel for the Arsenal and Betis faithful, so let’s see how things are shaping up in the two camps.
Talking Points
Arsenal still tracking Vinicius
At the moment, the Club Friendly 2026 news is swirling around transfer activity, with Chelsea, Liverpool, and Manchester City already investing heavily and Arsenal too have dipped in the market.
But there is one story which has not gone away, and that is the Gunners’ interest in Real Madrid’s Galactico Vinicius Junior. The Brazilian winger has said he is happy to stay at the Santiago Bernabeu, but he is yet to sign an extended deal, and he has not hidden his frustration at Los Blancos’ lack of success over the past two seasons.
He has reported back to training and is about to enter his final year with the Madrid giants, with new manager Jose Mourinho working hard to try to convince Vinicius to stay. And while the rumour mill continues to turn, Arsenal’s first big signing of the summer showed just what he can do, as left winger Christos Tzolis, who signed from Club Brugge for £34 million, put in a superb performance against Girona, scoring a brilliant individual goal.
As well as tracking Vinicius, Arsenal have also put a bid in for Newcastle captain Bruno Guimaraes, which has been turned down, and the club is pondering their next move. In terms of outgoings, the biggest loss is the transfer of Belgian forward Leandro Trossard in a €17 million move to Besiktas, so Arteta certainly looks like starting the next campaign with an even stronger hand.
Betis’ Top 4 aspirations
Los Verdiblancos finished fifth in the Primera Division last season, and the latest Club Friendly 2026 betting odds here at SBOTOP say Manuel Pellegrini’s men can go one further, with last season’s third-place finisher Villarreal facing the rigours of another Champions League campaign.
His team has bags of experience, captained by Real Madrid legend Isco and with former Arsenal wing-back Bellerin in a defence marshalled by Barcelona academy player Marc Bartra. Creative midfielders Pablo Fornals and Argentine World Cup finalist Gio Lo Celso support the attacking unit, which has Brazilian winger Antony firing in the crosses. This is certainly a team dripping with quality, with Colombia’s 27-year-old forward Cucho Hernandez firing in the bullets, with 16 goals in 47 games last season.
In terms of incomings, defensive midfielder Facundo Bernal has arrived in a €10.5 million transfer from Italian side Fluminense, and he will shore up a midfield which has lost Sergi Altimira, who headed to Sporting Lisbon for a fee of €18 million, who was offloaded by Los Blancos following the signing of La Roja star Marc Cucurella for Chelsea, and he brings more quality to the backline. This is a very competitive team which will provide another good test for Arsenal.
History
The Gunners won their 14th top-flight title last season and their first in 22 years while winning the FA Cup 14 times, and in Europe, they picked up a UEFA Cup Winners Cup in 1994.
Real Betis have just one La Liga triumph way back in 1935, while they have won three Copa del Reys and were Europa Conference League runners-up in 2025.
Arsenal’s 4-1 win over Girona made it five wins and a draw from their last six games, while Betis finished last season with three wins, two draws, and one defeat.
Betting Tip
After beating Girona in fine style, the Gunners now step on to take on another one of La Liga’s better sides, and I think Arteta’s team will have too much for an admittedly talented Betis.
It’s a friendly when all is said and done, but Arsenal have the swagger of champions, and their players are looking forward to the new Premier League campaign having finally shed that reputation as ‘also-rans,’ and that makes a huge difference every time they step on the pitch.
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