When Hector Bellerin walked onto the Aviva Stadium pitch on Wednesday night, it wasn’t just another pre-season friendly. It was a homecoming — sort of.
The former Arsenal right-back wore the captain’s armband for Real Betis as they stunned the Premier League champions 3-1 in Dublin. And he’d been waiting for this moment since the fixture was first announced.
“Since I knew the friendly got announced, I’ve been just counting back the days until today,” Bellerin said after the match, speaking to Premier Sports.
It’s the kind of comment that reminds you why Gunners fans still hold him so close.
Bellerin Requested the Armband for His Old Club
This wasn’t an ordinary captaincy decision. Bellerin personally asked regular captain Marc Bartra to let him lead Betis out against the club where he spent over a decade.
Bartra agreed. And Bellerin didn’t waste the occasion.
The 31-year-old, who made 239 appearances for Arsenal and won three FA Cups during his time in north London, was visibly moved throughout the evening. He joined the Gunners’ academy from Barcelona as a 16-year-old and grew into one of the most recognisable players of his generation at the Emirates.
After the final whistle, he shared a warm handshake with Reiss Nelson — a moment captured in the standout image of the night.
“I spent 10 years over there, always trying to help and trying to see Arsenal where it belongs,” Bellerin told reporters. “It’s nice to finally face them with them being in that position, so I’m very happy for them.”
“Unexpected (to win the match), we knew it was going to be a tough game,” Bellerin said. “Lots of players from Arsenal still to come back…we’ve been on the road for a couple more games, [but] it was a great test for us.”
That last line? It hits different when you know how much he cared during Arsenal’s lean years.
A Sloppy Night for Arteta’s Arsenal
While Bellerin enjoyed the occasion, Mikel Arteta definitely didn’t.
Arteta fielded a strong side — Kai Havertz, Viktor Gyokeres, and summer signing Christos Tzolis all started. But it didn’t matter. Arsenal looked disjointed, especially defensively.
“Very upset, given a hard time. They are fuming, but this is good. That’s what we need,” Arteta told ESPN afterwards.
He used 25 players across the match. Context matters there. But Arteta wasn’t making excuses.
“The important part is to win it and we didn’t manage to win it,” he admitted.
Arsenal are still without several key figures. Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, Eberechi Eze, Noni Madueke, and David Raya remain on extended leave after World Cup duty. Martin Odegaard has only recently returned to individual training.
To make matters worse, 19-year-old midfielder Louie Copley suffered a knee injury after coming on as a substitute. Arteta sounded worried.
“Quite worried to be fair for the kid because the mechanism doesn’t look very positive,” he said. Scans were expected the following day.
What’s Next for Arsenal This Pre-Season?
Despite the Dublin setback, there’s no need for panic. It’s August. The real stuff hasn’t started yet.
Arsenal’s pre-season schedule still includes:
- Borussia Dortmund on Sunday in the Emirates Cup
- Como next Wednesday
- The Community Shield against Manchester City on August 16
- A Premier League opener against Coventry City on August 21
Arteta saw one silver lining in the defeat — the anger. He wants that intensity. He wants players who don’t accept losing, even in friendlies.
“A bad result sometimes it’s good to create even more fire in the belly,” he said.
As for Bellerin? He walked away from Dublin with a win, an armband, and the knowledge that his bond with Arsenal hasn’t faded one bit. Not every pre-season friendly delivers that kind of story. This one absolutely did.
