After the defeat of Iznalloz, the Castilian knight Ruy Pérez Ponce de León succumbed to his wounds a few days later.

The death of this knight weakened the power of the ruling queen, María de Molina, who invoked the loyalty of Guzman el Bueno and earnestly requested that he defend Andalusia, threatened by the Sultan of Granada.

The Granadan Sultan, Muhammad II, did not cease to make incursions into Christian lands, devastating the fields and keeping the inhabitants of the border towns in constant alarm, with Arjona being one of the points that suffered the most from the attacks of the Muslims.

The Queen begged Guzman to come to the front of the Christian army to punish the Moors and pacify the border.

Arriving at Andújar, they received word that the cavalry of the Granadan Sultan had been camped for three days near Arjona, ravaging their fields and looting the farms and cottages.