Former Arsenal man Hector Bellerin has expressed his excitement after captaining Real Betis to a 3-1 friendly win over the Gunners in Dublin, Ireland on Wednesday (August 5).
Bellerin, 31, spent over a decade at the north London outfit after joining their youth academy from Barcelona’s La Masia in 2011. He helped his former team win three FA Cups and three Community Shields before leaving in 2022.
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During a post-game interaction, the Spaniard claimed that facing the Gunners was a significant occasion for him, and he personally requested Real Betis vice-captain Marc Bartra for the armband. He said (h/t GOAL):
“I spoke to Marc during the week and asked him to let me do it, he’s a great teammate. I really wanted to take on this wonderful responsibility, give my best in a match like this, and see so many teammates and Mikel (Arteta). It’s a joy, and I’m grateful for the opportunity life has given me to enjoy this game.”
Bellerin, who permanently joined Real Betis in July 2023, added:
“It was lovely to enjoy this kind of entertaining match, where possession and control were shared and both sides had chances. The team played a great game. I really liked the solidarity and communication shown by everyone. Especially in defense during the first half when they posed challenges for us. We handled those situations well and were clinical in front of goal. It was all very positive.”
The ex-Arsenal full-back played every minute of the friendly win, winning two of his five overall duels and making three clearances. He completed 30 of his 31 passes, creating two chances and one big chance at Aviva Stadium.
Riccardo Calafiori insists Arsenal need to sign elite players ahead of new season
Speaking recently to Sky Sports, Arsenal man Riccardo Calafiori opened up on his team being linked with Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior and Newcastle United’s Bruno Guimaraes. He commented (h/t Metro):
“Of course we are on that level now, we are on top. We want to win the league again and we want to be even better than last season, if we can, so we need those kind of players, I think.”
So far this summer, Arsenal have roped in Piero Hincapie, Christos Tzolis and Illan Meslier for a combined sum of over £68 million. They are allegedly close to signing Guimaraes for £75 million soon, with the Premier League champions working on a deal to bring Vinicius to north London.
Edited by Debkalpa Banerjee