Arsenal's Brazilian Duo Set for Betis Test

Arsenal’s pre-season has moved smoothly through the gears so far, but Wednesday night in Dublin should feel a little different. The Aviva Stadium is likely to see the return of two familiar faces – and two important ones.

Gabriel and Gabriel Martinelli, back from World Cup duty and a mandated extended break after helping Brazil reach the last 16, have rejoined the group and are expected to feature against Real Betis. They missed the behind-closed-doors win over MK Dons on July 25 and were spectators again for the 4-1 victory over Girona in Spain, despite linking up with their team-mates last week.

Their absence there felt deliberate. This one should not.

Arteta’s balancing act

Mikel Arteta has treated this pre-season like a controlled experiment. Against Girona, he eased Piero Hincapie, Kai Havertz and Viktor Gyokeres into action, giving each just 30 minutes before withdrawing them. It was a clear message: rhythm matters, but so does protection.

He could follow the same pattern with Gabriel and Martinelli in Dublin. A first outing, a first contact, and then the hook. Enough to feel the ball, not enough to risk fatigue.

At the back, there is another call to make. Ben White came through 60 minutes on his return from a knee injury, a significant step after three months out. That alone may be reason to pause. Arteta could decide that was enough for now, opening the door for youngster Marli Salmon to step in at right-back, especially with Jurrien Timber a doubt.

Midfield in the making

If the back line and the forward line are slowly returning to full strength, midfield remains a work in progress.

Martin Odegaard is due back at the club this week after his own post-World Cup holiday, but the captain is not expected to play against Betis. The training time simply isn’t there yet. That likely hands another opportunity to Ethan Nwaneri, who continues to edge himself into Arteta’s thinking with each outing.

Nwaneri should again be flanked in midfield by Havertz and Myles Lewis-Skelly. The senior options remain thin: Martin Zubimendi, Eberechi Eze, Declan Rice and Mikel Merino are all still on their breaks, leaving Arteta to lean on youth, versatility and whoever has minutes in their legs.

Off the pitch, the club’s attempt to strengthen that area has already hit resistance. A bid for Bruno Guimaraes has been rejected by Newcastle, a reminder that Arsenal’s midfield rebuild will not be straightforward, nor cheap.

Wide options and selection puzzles

The Girona win brought goals from Max Dowman and Christos Tzolis, with the summer signing Tzolis making an immediate impression. Yet even strong pre-season form can be cruelly interrupted by hierarchy and timing.

With Martinelli now ready to play, the Brazilian is expected to reclaim his favoured left-wing role, which could push Tzolis to the bench despite his goal. That is the reality of a squad being tuned for elite competition: pre-season is opportunity, but it is also a reminder of the pecking order.

Up front and out wide, Arsenal suddenly have options again. Gyokeres is being carefully managed, Martinelli is returning, and the two Gabriels could soon re-establish the spine and spark that drove so much of last season’s intensity.

A different kind of friendly

This is still pre-season. The result will not define anything. But the rhythm of a summer can shift quickly.

Arsenal have already banked minutes, goals and confidence. Now comes the stage where the core of Arteta’s side starts to reassemble, where combinations are rebuilt and decisions for the opening competitive fixtures begin to take shape.

In Dublin, under lights, with Brazil’s duo back on the pitch and a clutch of youngsters pushing hard behind them, this will feel less like a tune-up and more like a first draft of what Arsenal might become in the months ahead.