Arsenal’s first setback of the summer arrived in Dublin, where a flat display ended in a 3-1 defeat to Real Betis in preseason.

The match began poorly for Arsenal and never really recovered. Kepa Arrizabalaga, under renewed scrutiny amid talk that he may not remain at the club for the full summer, endured a difficult evening as Betis took control. His role in the opening goal was costly, with the goalkeeper coming for a corner, misjudging the delivery and leaving Riquelme with a simple finish at the far post. Kepa then struggled again when Arsenal’s opponents scored their second, with a poor clearance handing back possession before Deossa struck powerfully from the edge of the area.

Piero Hincapié did briefly give Arsenal some hope when he converted from a corner supplied by new arrival Christos Tzolis, but Pablo Fornals restored Betis’ two-goal advantage just before half-time. By that stage, Arsenal had already been exposed far too often.

Mikel Arteta made widespread changes after the interval and gave several younger players an opportunity to impress, yet Arsenal never looked like mounting a meaningful comeback. With Declan Rice, Martín Zubimendi and Martin Ødegaard absent after their World Cup involvement, the midfield was reshuffled and looked vulnerable throughout. Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri were used deeper, while Kai Havertz played further forward, but the structure lacked control and intensity.

The first half was especially poor. Betis countered with ease, Arsenal conceded three times before the break, and the defensive protection in front of the back four was nowhere near strong enough. Lewis-Skelly and Nwaneri, both hoping to strengthen their claims for bigger roles, did not do enough to shift that picture.

There was also frustration for Louie Copley, who lasted only 11 minutes before injury ended his afternoon. The 19-year-old, who spent the second half of last season on loan at Crawley Town, went off in visible discomfort after catching his studs in the turf and appeared to twist his knee.

Arsenal will not be overreacting, but the performance offered reminders that plenty of first-team players are still missing, including Raya, Bukayo Saka and Noni Madueke.

Manchester City have reportedly opened talks with the camp of Chelsea winger Pedro Neto about a possible return to working with Enzo Maresca.

According to Fabrizio Romano, City are already in “direct contact” with the player’s representatives as they explore a summer move to the Etihad Stadium. The situation is not straightforward, though, and several factors could shape whether any deal progresses.

One key issue is Savinho. Romano has also named Tottenham Hotspur as admirers of Neto, and any departure for the City winger could sharpen Maresca’s interest in strengthening his wide areas. Chelsea’s asking price will also matter, with the London club not actively seeking a sale and likely expecting a strong offer after signing Neto only two summers ago.

Chelsea’s squad depth means the winger is not indispensable in west London. The club has added heavily to its attacking ranks, even after the recent departures of Alejandro Garnacho to Aston Villa and Tyrique George to Everton. Morgan Rogers has arrived for a record-breaking fee, while Geovany Quenda has also joined from Sporting CP. That group sits alongside Estêvão, Jamie Gittens, Cole Palmer and Mykhailo Mudryk, who recently returned after his doping ban was lifted.

Even so, Neto’s value is clear. Only Enzo Fernández created more chances than his 53 last season in the Premier League, and no Chelsea player bettered his 12 big chances created. His pace also gives him a directness that can trouble deep defensive blocks.

Xabi Alonso will want a closer look before any final decision is made, especially as Neto made a late return to preseason after his World Cup involvement with Portugal and is yet to play under Chelsea’s new manager.

City, too, have options on the flanks. Jérémy Doku delivered the best season of his City career in 2025-26, Antoine Semenyo made an immediate impact after arriving mid-season, and Omar Marmoush, Rayan Cherki and Phil Foden have all been used wide in recent campaigns. Jeremy Monga, still only 17, offers further cover. Even so, if Savinho were to depart, Maresca would be left with fewer natural wingers than he would ideally want.

Marcus Rashford may yet be forced into an awkward meeting with Ruben Amorim, despite the forward spending much of the summer trying to move on from the past.

Nineteen months ago, Amorim made his feelings plain when he said he would rather use his 63-year-old goalkeeper coach Jorge Vital than Rashford at Manchester United. The winger was later pushed into the club’s “bomb squad” last summer after returning from a loan spell with Aston Villa, before joining Barcelona on loan. There, he helped the Catalans win La Liga and the Spanish Super Cup while Amorim was dismissed in January.

Even after Rashford made clear his wish to stay with the Spanish champions, Barcelona did not activate his buy option. That sent the 28-year-old back to Old Trafford, where he remains under contract until June 2028.

Michael Carrick has since arrived as the new man in the dugout and has given the forward a fresh start this preseason. Yet Rashford may not be able to avoid Amorim after all.

United are scheduled to face AC Milan in their final preseason fixture before the 2026/27 campaign on Saturday, Aug. 15. Amorim is now in charge of Milan after replacing Massimiliano Allegri in June. Had the game come earlier in the tour, Rashford would likely have missed the meeting because he is still resting after the 2026 World Cup and has not yet joined up with the Red Devils, just like Kobbie Mainoo and Lisandro Martínez.

The pair are due back on Monday for the penultimate leg of United’s tour in the Republic of Ireland, with Rashford expected alongside them. Carrick is unlikely to throw him straight into the match against Leeds United days later, which would make the Milan game the likeliest stage for a long-awaited reunion.

That would add another layer to a match already loaded with interest. It would be Amorim’s first game against his former side since his difficult spell ended seven months ago. Across 63 games at United, more than a third ended in defeat, while he managed only 15 wins in 47 Premier League matches.

His time there was marked by sharp press conferences and divisive calls, not least his criticism of Rashford’s training habits. Now he faces both the club he left behind and the player he helped force out of Manchester.

Rashford, meanwhile, rediscovered his rhythm in Spain, finishing with 14 goals and 11 assists in 49 appearances for Barcelona. Much of that came from limited minutes, which only made the return more striking while he played behind Raphinha for much of the season.