Paul Merson is backing Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta to keep faith with Kepa Arrizabalaga for the Carabao Cup final this weekend.
Writing in his Sportskeeda column, Merson acknowledges that number David Raya is “world class”, but he believes the keeper who has played in all the previous rounds of the competition should keep his place:
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“The big decision that Arsenal need to make is whether they go with Kepa Arrizabalaga or David Raya in goal. Kepa has been first-choice in the Carabao Cup and I think they should stick with him. It’s only fair because he played well and got you to this stage.”
“But I must admit, Raya is world-class! The saves he made against Everton and Leverkusen, absolutely phenomenal. However, if I were the manager, I would still stick to my principles and choose Kepa as the keeper for the final. He’s not let the team down in this competition and deserves to start.”
Kepa has not let anyone down in the Carabao Cup
The 31-year-old has played 5 games in the tournament, conceding three goals and keeping three clean sheets.
If Arteta were to drop Kepa in favour of Raya, most would assume he would have done so for the semi-final tie against Chelsea, but the shot-stopper played both legs versus his former club.
Arsenal team news ahead of the final
Jurrien Timber remains a doubt for the showpiece event at Wembley on Sunday. The defender picked up an ankle problem during the 2-0 win over Everton and missed the victory over Bayer Leverkusen midweek.
Arteta is also sweating on the fitness of captain Martin Odegaard, who has been sidelined with a knee injury since the North London Derby. Mikel Merino has already been ruled out for the rest of the season, having undergone surgery on a stress fracture in his foot.
Read more about the Arsenal First Team Squad for 2025/26 here