Arsenal enters the final days of preparation with many question marks in defense. Two consecutive defeats against Real Betis and Borussia Dortmund, along with 6 goals conceded, show that Mikel Arteta's team still has many problems to solve before the Premier League opening match against Coventry City.
Although pre-season friendly matches are not a perfect measure, Arsenal's performance still gives fans reason to worry. Notably, The Gunners' defense appears uncertain in the context that William Saliba cannot return.
Arsenal once experienced a similar situation last summer when they lost to Villarreal 2-3 at home. After that, they immediately kept a clean sheet in a 3-0 victory over Athletic Bilbao and entered the season with a completely different face. Therefore, Arteta will hope that the current results only reflect the instability in the preparation period.
However, the issue of the depth of the defense is something that cannot be underestimated. Ben White has only made 12 appearances in the Premier League last season and has just returned after a cruciate ligament injury. Meanwhile, Jurrien Timber is still sidelined, and Saliba has not determined when he will reappear.
In the match against Dortmund, the gaps behind Arsenal's defense were constantly exploited. Samuele Inacio opened the score after only 7 minutes, before Konstantinos Karetsas doubled the gap with a beautiful finish. Even when Ethan Nwaneri narrowed the score, Arsenal still quickly let the opponent re-establish the advantage from a set piece situation.
What is more worrying is that this is the second consecutive match Arsenal has conceded 3 goals. Previously, Real Betis also exploited personal mistakes of the "Gunners" defense.
Arteta therefore needs to be especially careful in managing the force. Arsenal had to play on many fronts last season, while key players such as Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Magalhaes and Saliba all had physical problems. After a long and harsh 2026 World Cup, the risk of overload is even greater.
Arsenal spending 75 million pounds to bring Bruno Guimaraes from Newcastle is an important step. The Brazilian midfielder can help Arteta rotate the midfield and reduce Rice's burden. However, the appearance of Guimaraes does not solve the gap in the defense.
Arteta still needs a versatile defender before the summer transfer window closes. This may be a more urgent task than continuing to pursue an attacking star, because the current squad lacks a backup plan if one of the key center-backs gets injured.
The English Super Cup match with Manchester City will be the next important test. This is an opportunity for Arteta to more accurately assess Arsenal's defensive ability before entering the Premier League opening match.
The defeat to Dortmund is certainly not a disaster, but if defensive problems continue to appear, Arsenal will enter the new season with a big question mark in the journey to defend the throne.
