Kepa is consoled by his Arsenal teammates. (Image: Getty)
It took just four minutes for Manchester City to take control against Arsenal in the Carabao Cup final. But the truth is, the red flags were there long before Nico O’Reilly’s decisive brace at Wembley. Josep Guardiola congratulated his former protégé Mikel Arteta on one over, but before he kicks the ball Arteta may be wondering whether he made a fatal mistake.
When Arsenal’s team sheets came down at 3.15pm, there were some decisions that raised some eyebrows. Leandro Trossard was preferred over Gabriel Martinelli, Victor Gokeres and Kai Havertz were paired together, and the Germans worked deeper in the absence of Martin Odegaard and Ebelesi Eze.
But the most important call-out came between the posts.
Kepa Arrizabalaga was handed the gloves before David Raya.
It was a defensible, if somewhat emotional, decision. The Spaniard started every round of the tournament and played a key role in Arsenal’s Wembley victory.
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Arteta stood beside his players before kick-off. “He fully deserves it,” he insisted. “He’s been phenomenal when he’s playing. He’s been playing throughout the tournament and we have full confidence in him.”
But a little more than an hour later, that trust seemed horribly misplaced.
The first warning came when Kepa misjudged a long ball, sending it over his head and into a dangerous area. Jeremy Doku jumped and was fouled, prompting City supporters to demand a red card. Referee Peter Banks was lenient and ruled the angle was too wide to constitute a clear goal-scoring chance, opting for a yellow.
It was a let-off that Arsenal paid no heed to.
The damage occurred just nine minutes later.
Rayan Cherki’s speculative cross should have been routine, but it slipped through Kepa’s hands and fell gently to O’Reilly, who had no doubt that he would break the deadlock.
Kepa fouled Jeremy Doku outside the penalty area. (Image: Getty)
It was the kind of mistake that lingers, the kind that decides a cup final and haunts a career. Kepa’s reaction said it all. I couldn’t believe it and was in despair.
Reality is cruel. Should he have been trusted on a stage like this, given his lack of football this season?
On the bench sat David Raya, widely regarded as one of the best goalkeepers in world football. Few would support him making a similar mistake in such a high-stakes situation.
Kepa will be responsible, as goalkeepers usually do. But Arteta should also be in the spotlight.
If the Arsenal manager really wanted to maximize his team’s chances of winning silver, Raya should have started.
Cup competitions often provide opportunities for team players. But it doesn’t come at any cost.
Christian Norgaard was not selected ahead of Martin Zvimendi. Gabriel was not sacrificed for Cristian Mosquera.
So why was the most important position on the pitch treated differently?
It’s a question Arteta may struggle to answer, but one Arsenal supporters won’t be able to forget in a hurry.
Arteta has done little wrong since taking over, but his lack of results on the big stage remains a concern. Emirates chiefs will be hoping this is a one-off incident rather than a broader issue that needs to be addressed.
