There is no hiding place for a manager when decisions go against them and Mikel Arteta’s choice to stick by cup goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga will be one that haunts him.
Arteta is known for his ruthlessness but, by opting to stick with cup goalkeeper Kepa for the Carabao Cup final, he showed a rare glimpse of his sentimental side – especially with Arsenal having not won a major trophy since 2020.
Kepa’s error – when he let Rayan Cherki’s cross slip through his fingers – allowed Nico O’Reilly to head Manchester City into the lead. And Pep Guardiola’s side never looked back as O’Reilly headed in again just four minutes later to seal the win.
Arteta’s decision to play Kepa over first choice David Raya was highlighted further because of the performance of City’s own cup goalkeeper, James Trafford.
Trafford was re-signed during the summer to be City’s number one before Gianluigi Donnarumma became available and the club moved to sign him from Paris St-Germain, which meant Trafford became second choice.
Trafford made an excellent triple save early in the game, when he denied Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka twice, to keep the scores level.
He went on to keep a clean sheet, while the questions about Kepa’s selection will dominate the headlines.
Former Blackburn striker Chris Sutton told BBC Radio 5 Live: “I never understand why managers play their second-choice goalkeepers in cup finals.
“You’re trying to win a trophy, why wouldn’t you play your number one to give yourself the best possible chance? That’s common sense.”
For Arteta, it did not enter his mind to not play Kepa in the final.
The Arsenal manager said it would have been “very unfair” if he had not stuck with the Spain international, who had played every round of the cup competition before the final, and said he accepts the scrutiny coming his way.
Also Read: ‘There’s something missing’ – Mikel Arteta delivers honest Arsenal verdict
“I understand that, but I have to do what I feel is right, which is honest and which is fair,” Arteta said.
“And I think we have an understanding keeper in Kepa – he’s played all the competition, and I think it would have been very, very unfair for him and for the team to do something different.”
The former Chelsea goalkeeper signed for the Gunners in the summer to compete with first choice Raya.
Raya has 15 clean sheets in the Premier League, the most in the division, and has produced some standout saves during this campaign as Arsenal look to end their wait for a trophy.
And Arteta says that despite Kepa’s limited game time this season he did not guarantee that the goalkeeper would play in Arsenal’s cup fixtures.
“I can never promise a player to play certain competitions, because at the end they have to earn it and they have to do enough like any other position,” he said.
“We are guided by what we’ve seen and what he’s done in the competition, and he helped us to go all the way through here.
“I believe it’s the right thing to do and that’s it. Errors are part of football and today it happened unfortunately in a crucial moment.”
The EFL Cup brings bad memories for Arrizabalaga. The keeper has now lost all three of the finals he has played in the competition.
When playing for Chelsea in 2019 he refused to be substituted with the game heading to penalties, in 2022 he put his penalty over the crossbar as they lost to Liverpool in a shootout – and his error in this year’s final handed the lead to City.
“I would never have started Kepa today,” European football expert Julien Laurens told BBC Radio 5 Live.
“In a final like this, at this moment in the Arsenal project, there is no moment for sentiment. Your best team has to play. Kepa instead of David Raya for me, was the wrong call.
“I know it is harsh but I think Arteta and his players will learn a lot from today because those finals are won on decisions made, not just on the pitch but at half-time.”
Kepa was booked before conceding the opener, when he misjudged a clearance and pulled back winger Jeremy Doku as he looked to score.
“Mikel Arteta did not have to play him,” former England and Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart told BBC Sport.
“That’s a decision made by a manager who’s potentially going to win quite a lot this season. So he’s played Kepa because he believes he’s ready.
“But I’ll always say it, don’t ever feel sorry for a goalkeeper. That’s the life that he’s chosen.
“And again, most of the game he was faultless. But in that big moment obviously he’ll have something to reflect on.”
A pivotal moment for Trafford
After re-signing for the club where he started his career for £30m in the summer, Trafford expected to be the number one at City.
But since Donnarumma’s arrival the England Under-21 international has had to make do with domestic cup appearances and a rare chance in the Champions League.
Trafford has said this season “hasn’t been easy at all” as he finds himself second choice.
But his performance during the win over Arsenal could be a pivotal moment in his career.
“They were obviously big saves because they happened quite early on in the game, but I can’t really remember them because they were quite quick,” Trafford said.
“I’m just happy to play my part in it, and then Nico [O’Reilly] scored two, which is brilliant from him.
“This moment means a lot to me. Four or five years ago when [City] beat Spurs to win it, I think I was fourth or fifth choice, and I always imagined that I would win it one day.”
Guardiola confirmed before the game that Trafford would be starting, and the keeper says it “means a lot” to have the backing from his manager.
“It’s a testament to how I believed in myself, and how I acted in training, when I’ve been brought in for club games. Every time that I play I just give it my best shot,” he added.
BBC
