Arsenal’s pre-season defensive problems continued as Mikel Arteta’s side suffered a 3-2 defeat to Borussia Dortmund in the Emirates Cup.
The Gunners have now lost consecutive pre-season fixtures after conceding three goals against Dortmund, following another defensive setback in their previous outing against Real Betis.
The Gunners’ 3-1 defeat to Betis was the first sign of frailty at the back ahead of a gruelling Premier League season ahead.
Game highlights
Samuele Inacio and Konstantinos Karetsas put Dortmund 2-0 ahead before half-time, while Joane Gadou restored the German side’s two-goal advantage after the interval.
Arsenal responded through Ethan Nwaneri and new signing Viktor Gyokeres, but were unable to complete the comeback and ended their pre-season campaign with another defeat.
Christos Tzolis was also among Arsenal’s brighter performers despite the result, but the defensive issues will provide Arteta with plenty to consider before the Premier League campaign begins.
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Comical defending
The Arsenal boss admitted his side’s defending has not been good enough in their recent matches.
“We lost the game, obviously not happy about it. Things obviously have to be improved,” Arteta told Sky Sports.
“Certain players need to get more minutes and rhythm, which is going to be really helpful.”
Arteta also stressed that losing, even during pre-season, should provide motivation for his players.
“It has to hurt, whether it is a friendly match, a test or whatever you want to call it. But yeah, we know where we are.”
The Arsenal boss acknowledged that the squad is still missing several players and that others have not yet had enough training time ahead of the new campaign.
However, he was particularly critical of the manner in which his side conceded.
“We conceded some poor goals the other day, some poor goals today, in the way we competed, especially,” Arteta added.
“But that’s a very collective responsibility. So, we need to improve with the players that we have. And we want to improve, for sure we will.”
More defensive security
The arrival of Bruno Guimaraes will provide Arsenal with another experienced option in midfield, but Arteta will need his defensive unit to find greater consistency before the new season.
With the Premier League campaign approaching, Arsenal have limited time to resolve the vulnerabilities exposed during their final pre-season fixtures.
The consecutive defeats may ultimately prove inconsequential once the season begins, but the manner of the goals conceded gives Arteta a clear area for improvement.
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