Arsenal take on Real Betis in a pre-season friendly at the Aviva Stadium.
General view inside the stadium prior to the pre-season friendly match between Arsenal FC and Real Betis.
Arsenal take on Real Betis at the Aviva Stadium on Wednesday night. (Image: Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
View 2 Images
Arsenal's pre-season friendly against Real Betis has been delayed by 15 minutes due to the opposition being stuck in traffic. The Gunners take on the Spanish side at the Aviva Stadium in Ireland, with kick-off now at 7.45pm.
The game was due to kick off at 7.30pm, but Real Betis' team coach was caught in traffic on the way to the stadium, meaning that the match has been pushed back by a quarter of an hour. The announcement was made less than an hour before the game was originally scheduled to take place.
The clash against Real Betis is Arsenal's second in their pre-season preparations. They came out as 4-1 winners over Spanish second division side Girona on Saturday thanks to goals from Kai Havertz, Christos Tzolis, Max Dowman and Gabriel Jesus.
Following the match against Real Betis, the Gunners are back at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday and they host Borussia Dortmund (2pm BST). They then host Italian side Como on Wednesday 12 August (7.30pm BST).
Pre-season ends with the Community Shield final against Manchester City. The game will take place at 3pm BST on Sunday, 16 August at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff.
Arsenal kick off the defence of their Premier League title when they take on newly-promoted Coventry City at the Emirates Stadium at 8pm on Friday, 21 August.
A general view inside of the Arsenal dressing room prior to the pre-season friendly match between Arsenal FC and Real Betis.
Inside the Arsenal dressing room ahead of the pre-season friendly. (Image: Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
View 2 Images
Having lifted their first Premier League title in 22 years last season, Arsenal will look to have another memorable season this time around. Forward Havertz is determined that will be the case.
"I think we have to go further," he said following the win over Girona. "You see other teams getting better, so we have to step up another level again.
"I think that's what we're all here for, that's what we're trained for. Play those test games and want to start strong and reach our goals that season again."
He added: "To be fair, I think we want all the trophies. That's what we're here for. I think we missed out on a lot the last couple of seasons. Obviously, we won the Premier League now, but there's a lot more that we can do.
"We have to reach another level to make that happen. We know how long the season is, we know how hard it is to go through the competitions. We want to do it better again this year and make things happen again."
Content Image
Content Image