Nobody likes losing, even when it technically means nothing. Arsenal found that out the hard way in Dublin after a sloppy 3-1 defeat to Spanish side Real Betis left Mikel Arteta's players, by his own admission, absolutely fuming in the dressing room. Pre-season friendly or not, that kind of result stings.
Arteta confirmed the mood in camp was not exactly a joyful one after the game, which is probably the right reaction if you're being honest. You don't want players shrugging their shoulders after getting beaten. The fact that they cared enough to be angry about it is at least a decent sign that standards are being maintained at the club.
That said, let's keep some perspective here. Real Betis are a solid LaLiga outfit who will have been sharper in terms of their pre-season preparation by the time this game came around. Arsenal, like most top clubs, will have had players coming back at different stages of fitness, training loads all over the place, and squad rotation that makes results almost meaningless on paper. Almost.
The worry for Arsenal fans isn't necessarily the scoreline, it's the word Arteta himself used — sloppy. Sloppiness in pre-season can sometimes just follow a team into a new campaign if it isn't addressed quickly. Arsenal have been agonisingly close to winning the title in the last couple of seasons and they simply cannot afford to carry bad habits into August.
Mikel Arteta has shown he's not a manager who lets things slide though. The fact he's publicly calling out the performance rather than giving the usual pre-season waffle about fitness levels and building momentum suggests he wants a reaction, and fast. That's the kind of manager Arsenal need if they're ever going to get over the line.
As a United fan, watching Arsenal get beaten never feels bad, if we're being completely transparent. But even from this side of the fence, it's clear this is little more than a bump in the road. Arteta will sort it. He usually does.
Let me know your thoughts.