'Monumental error' - Mikel Arteta blasted for team selection after Arsenal lose Carabao Cup final to Man City

Arsenal's long wait for silverware continues after a disappointing afternoon at Wembley, but the post-match talk has centred on Mikel Arteta's tactical choices. Despite Raya being the established first-choice keeper at the Emirates, Arteta chose to stick with Kepa, who had featured in every previous round of the competition this season.

The decision proved to be a turning point for all the wrong reasons. On the hour mark, a lapse in concentration from the former Chelsea man allowed O'Reilly to open the scoring. The young Manchester City star doubled his tally just four minutes later, leaving Arsenal with too much to do and extending their trophy drought beyond the five-year mark.

Jamie Redknapp was scathing in his assessment of the management, labeling the decision to bench Raya as a "monumental error" during his post-match analysis. The pundit argued that sentiment should never have played a role in a fixture of such magnitude, especially given Arsenal's desperate need to secure a major trophy.

Speaking on Sky Sports, Redknapp said: "I know people will say sentiment because he's played in the earlier rounds, but Kepa is not as good as Raya - that's why he's your No 2. So why in a major final, when you're trying to get across the line, you've not won a trophy in so long, do you decide to play him. You have to take responsibility for that; that is a monumental error. I'm not saying he's a bad goalkeeper, but he's not as good as Raya and it has backfired big time. You can turn around and say [James] Trafford isn't your No 1 either, but he made three big saves and then he was hardly tested."

The sentiment was shared by fellow pundit Micah Richards, who pointed out that the technical gap between the two Arsenal keepers was too significant to ignore for a final. While Manchester City also played a secondary keeper in James Trafford, Richards noted that the circumstances were different given City's squad depth and Trafford's own performance levels on the day.

Richards added: "I think you're right. When you asked about goalkeepers at the start, Trafford was brought in as a No 1, he was ready - it's just that Donnarumma came on the market. The difference between Raya and Kepa is so big, so in a big game, you're thinking, 'you've got to go with Raya'. Look, we can talk about it after [the game], but ultimately we're talking about it because [going with Kepa over Raya] cost Arsenal the game."

The defeat is a bitter pill to swallow for the Gunners, who had hoped the Carabao Cup final would be the springboard for a successful end to the season. Instead, the focus shifts to whether Arteta's loyalty to his squad players in cup competitions is hindering the club's ability to actually win them.

With City celebrating another domestic honor, Arsenal must now regroup for the remainder of the Premier League campaign. However, the questions surrounding Arteta's refusal to play his strongest XI in a final will likely linger as the club searches for its first piece of major silverware since 2020.