Mikel Arteta defended his decision to start Kepa Arrizabalaga in the League Cup final after the Arsenal goalkeeper made a crucial mistake in a 2-0 loss to Manchester City on Sunday.
Kepa made a terrible mistake in the second half at Wembley, allowing Rayan Cherki’s cross to slide through his fingers, giving Nico O’Reilly the opportunity to head in City’s first.
Arsenal never recovered, as O’Reilly scored again four minutes later, leaving the Gunners still looking for their first major prize since 2020.
Arteta chose to stick with Kepa rather than first-choice goalkeeper David Raya since the former Chelsea player has been a fixture in the League Cup this season.
The risk backfired, as Kepa had another League Cup final to forget following his 2019 refusal to be substituted by Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri ahead of a penalty shoot-out defeat to Manchester City, in which he failed to save a kick.
Kepa also missed a penalty in a shootout defeat to Liverpool three years later.
When asked about the criticism of his choice, Arteta responded, “I understand, but I have to do what is right and fair.”
“If Kepa had played all the competition, I think it would have been unfair to him and the team to do something different.
“He had gone all the way through this competition. Errors are part of football, and unfortunately, it happened today at a crucial moment.”
Arsenal were nine points ahead of Man City at the top of the Premier League, but they fell short of the task.
Arsenal, who were far too conservative at Wembley for lengthy spells, have not won a trophy since the 2020 FA Cup, when their quadruple bid was cut short.
“Very sad, very hard one to take. We know how much it means and how much we wanted it. The fact we haven’t delivered that is disappointing and leaves a bad taste,” Arteta said.
“First half, we were the better team and had the biggest chance of the game; if we scored that, it would have changed the game.
“In the first 20 minutes of the second half, we weren’t at our best. We struggled to get out of our block and conceded the goal in an unexpected manner, obviously.
“You have to give credit to the opposition. They raised their level and capitalized on their moments. We didn’t.”
