Arsenal were soundly beaten 2-0 in the Carabao Cup final defeat against Manchester City on Sunday, with many of Mikel Arteta's players having a night to forget. Famous supporter Piers Morgan has told the Spanish tactician that he made an error in his starting XI.
Many would expect that mistake to be the decision to select Spanish goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga over his compatriot David Raya. The call raised many eyebrows before kick-off and the Gunners fan base's biggest fears were realised on the pitch.
Kepa, who has a controversial history in domestic cup finals over the years, dropped a clanger to gift Nico O'Reilly his opening goal after failing to collect a simple cross. He was then beaten by the English youngster for a second time shortly after, handing the Citizens the trophy.
Piers Morgan Questions Mikel Arteta's Team Selection
Arsenal players vs Man City
Despite Kepa being responsible for one of the two City goals, Morgan questioned the manager's decision to pick a different Arsenal star. On talkSPORT's breakfast show, Ally McCoist and Ray Parlour got on to the subject of Bukayo Saka's poor form.
Parlour, an ex-Gunner himself, stated: "Too many people had off days. Saka, he didn't have a good game... He's out of form, maybe lost a bit of confidence, I don't know, belief?"
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"I said maybe three or four months ago, I thought [Noni] Madueke, at that particular time, was a better prospect," McCoist added. That sentiment was then echoed by Morgan, a well-known British journalist and media personality. He claimed Madueke should've started on the right flank:
"I just think that we've got to have some difficult conversations at the moment. I think Saka looks exhausted, and that's not just an issue for Arsenal, it's an issue for England at the World Cup.
"I don't know why he didn't start Madueke instead of Saka, because Madueke was rested earlier in the week."
The England international completed just 11 of his 15 attempted passes (73%) as he struggled to impose himself at Wembley. Saka only managed 36 touches in total, losing possession of the ball on 13 occasions. He also failed to make a successful dribble.
Arsenal Icon Agrees on Bukayo Saka's Struggles
Bukayo Saka
Joining the panel later in the show was Premier League winner Emmanuel Petit. The retired midfielder joined the others in expressing his concerns about Saka's dip in form.
He said: "I have said for weeks, 'I love Bukayo Saka', I do. However, I think the form has dipped a little bit... I don't know (why)," before McCoist then chimed in, saying: "I'll tell you what I think it is, I just think it's a drop in form, I don't know whether it's a confidence thing."
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Saka is set to feature for England in upcoming friendlies against Uruguay and Japan as Thomas Tuchel ramps up his preparations for the 2026 World Cup. His underwhelming performances in recent weeks will be cause for concern for not only Arsenal fans, but English supporters too, ahead of the summer.
Statistics in this article are courtesy of SofaScore. Correct as of 23-03-26.