Arsenal fans want two players to be sold after the surprise pre-season loss to Real Betis.
Arsenal fans are already frustrated with two players after a tough 3-1 loss to Real Betis.
Just a few days before they welcome Borussia Dortmund to London for the Emirates Cup final, Arsenal traveled to Dublin’s Aviva Stadium to play Real Betis on Wednesday night.
After a big 4-1 win against Girona earlier in pre-season, fans were feeling hopeful, but things quickly went downhill when Betis scored just nine minutes into the game.
Rodrigo Riquelme opened the scoring for Betis, and Nelson Deossa added a second goal just before the 30-minute mark. Arsenal defender Piero Hincapie did manage to score for the Gunners, but a third Betis goal from former West Ham player Pablo Fornals sealed the win for the Spanish side.
With more than two weeks until the Premier League starts, this loss has fans worried, and many are pointing fingers at two players in particular.
David Raya, Arsenal’s keeper who won the World Cup with Spain this summer, hasn’t played a pre-season game yet. So, second keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga was in goal for the match in Dublin.
The other surprise was Kai Havertz, another former Chelsea player, who started in midfield for the loss to Real Betis.
Fans took to social media to share their disappointment. One wrote: “Please, can we stop playing Havertz in midfield? Every game it’s the same problem. What is he even doing? And Kepa, you’re a disaster. Get him out of the club now.”
Another fan asked, “By the way, why isn’t Havertz for sale?”
Some even blamed manager Mikel Arteta, saying: “It’s shocking, but that’s what you get with a manager who still plays Havertz in midfield. He just keeps proving he’s wrong. They deserved this result.”
Many fans want Kepa dropped to third-choice keeper and for new signing Ilan Meslier to move up as number two. Meanwhile, they believe Havertz should only play as a center forward, competing with Viktor Gyokeres for a spot on the team.
On a brighter note, there was good news despite the loss. Summer signing Christos Tzolis continued to shine.
Tzolis, who came to Arsenal from Club Brugge for £34 million, made an instant impact by scoring on his debut in the 4-1 win over Girona.
Though he didn’t score against Betis, Tzolis stood out again by assisting Hincapie’s goal.
At 24, he’s expected to start regularly this season, especially after Leandro Trossard left earlier in the transfer window.