Mikel Arteta defends decision to start Kepa Arrizabalaga ahead of David Raya after Carabao Cup final defeat to Man City

Arteta faced intense scrutiny after the Wembley defeat, particularly regarding his goalkeeper selection. Kepa made a crucial error that allowed O'Reilly to score the first of his two goals, completely shifting the momentum of the tie. Despite the costly mistake, the manager fully stood by his decision to bench Raya. Explaining his rationale, Arteta stated: "I understand that but I have to do what I feel is right. He has played all the competition and I think it would have been very unfair. They have to earn it. We are guided by what we have seen. I believe it is the right thing to do. Errors are part of football, and sadly today it happened in a crucial moment."

The Gunners enjoyed a competitive first half but failed to convert their pressure into goals. Kai Havertz saw a golden opportunity thwarted by James Trafford, leaving the north London side vulnerable to City's eventual resurgence. Reflecting on the painful loss and the team's lack of a cutting edge, Arteta expressed his deep disappointment: "Very sad, a hard one to take. We know for our supporters how much it means to them. As I said before in the first half there were some good moments and we didn't capitalise on that. We had chances through Gabi and Viktor. Especially in the second half, those 25 minutes we should have done better. Sometimes you have to give credit to the opposition. For sure there are things we can do better."

With a crucial run of fixtures looming across both domestic and European competitions, the immediate challenge is ensuring this cup final heartbreak does not derail their entire campaign. The manager firmly believes his squad possesses the mental fortitude to recover quickly from the Wembley setback. Emphasising their resilience, Arteta declared: "We played 50 games before today? Every time we have a draw or a defeat, we have to prove it, we have to do it again. We have a recent history of how this team has responded in these moments. Well especially to have some perspective on it. We're going to use it as fire in the belly. We'll manage the energy in the right way. We'll go through the pain and disappointment, it's part of football."

The Gunners must quickly put this Carabao Cup disappointment behind them as a defining period of their season approaches. Arteta's side currently sit top of the Premier League table with 70 points from 31 matches, holding a nine-point advantage over Manchester City, although Pep Guardiola's men have one game in hand. Their pursuit of a historic treble continues rapidly. Following an FA Cup quarter-final clash away to Southampton on the fourth of April, they face a crucial two-legged UEFA Champions League tie against Sporting CP. All eyes, however, will be on the 19th of April, when Arsenal travel to the Etihad Stadium to take on City in a match that could still have an impact on the title race.