Mikel Arteta reveals furious Arsenal dressing-room reaction after Real Betis defeat

Mikel Arteta has revealed Arsenal's players were left "very upset" and "fuming" following their disappointing 3-1 pre-season defeat to Real Betis.

The Gunners conceded all three goals during a sloppy first half in Dublin, with individual errors proving costly despite Piero Hincapié pulling one back after the break.

Speaking after the match, Arteta admitted the mood inside the dressing room reflected the performance.

"Very upset, given a hard time. They are fuming, but this is good. That's what we need."

Despite the defeat, the Arsenal boss stressed the result should be viewed in the context of a disrupted pre-season, with several key players still returning to fitness and 25 players used across the 90 minutes.

Arteta believes setbacks like this can strengthen the squad mentally ahead of the new campaign.

"A bad result sometimes is good to create even more fire in the belly."

The Arsenal manager acknowledged there were positives despite the scoreline, particularly during spells when his strongest players were on the pitch.

However, he admitted his side fell below their usual standards defensively, especially around their own penalty area.

Arteta insisted improvements are needed before the Premier League season begins but remained confident the performance will provide valuable lessons.

There was less encouraging news regarding Louie Copley, with Arteta admitting the teenager's knee injury "did not look good" after he was forced off shortly after coming on.

The Arsenal boss was far more positive when discussing Ceadach O'Neill, who impressed again during another lively substitute appearance.

"I've been really impressed with him."

"He's really mature and really focused, and he has a tremendous quality to him."

Arsenal will look to bounce back in their final pre-season fixtures as Arteta continues preparing his squad for the new Premier League campaign. The club are also awaiting further assessment on Louie Copley's knee injury after the teenager's early exit against Real Betis.