Rio Ferdinand praised an Arsenal star after their cup final defeat.placeholder image
Rio Ferdinand praised an Arsenal star after their cup final defeat. | Getty Images
Arsenal were defeated in the absence of one key player in the Carabao Cup final on Sunday
Arsenal lost out on their first opportunity to win a major trophy this season on Sunday as Manchester City were 2-0 winners of the Carabao Cup in the final at Wembley.
The Gunners were far from their best on the day and offered little in terms of getting back into the game after Nico O’Reilly gave City the lead on the hour mark and added a second just minutes later.
The first of his goals came after an error by second-choice goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga, who dropped a Rayan Cherki cross from the right and allowed O’Reilly to stoop in and head into an empty net. The goalkeeping mistake changed the trajectory of the game and led some to question the decision of Mikel Arteta to start Kepa in goal ahead of usual No.1 David Raya. Former Manchester United and England defender Rio Ferdinand has had his say on the situation.
Ferdinand criticises Kepa decision amid ‘best in the world’ claim
Speaking on his Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast, Ferdinand suggested Arteta’s call was based on “sentiment” and that Arsenal were missing the “best in the world” in Raya as they were defeated in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley.
“We can talk about Kepa’s mistake but those can happen in any game,” said the former centre-back. “But more than anything he was the big issue in terms of Arsenal getting through the press.
“I think right now David Raya is the best goalkeeper in world football and if he plays, his distribution would have been a big, big factor in that game. He would have played over Man City’s press, he would have played through at times, he would have taken risks and would have been able to put an element of doubt into City’s press. Arsenal didn’t deal with that bit of pressure one bit.”
On Arteta’s decision to start Kepa, Ferdinand added: “I think Mikel Arteta will look back and think he was too sentimental.
“I know he’s played in the previous rounds, but I don’t agree with it. Man City could afford to because they’ve won enough trophies recently but Arsenal are trying to build a winning culture. This was a big moment, the first trophy on offer in the season and he’s let it slip through his fingers.
“The mistake was bad but tactically it was obvious to see that David Raya would have been a mark-up because of his ability with his feet. We can talk about how good Raya is at shot-stopping and claiming crosses but his bravery on the ball has been sensational this year and that would have altered Man City’s tactics. Arsenal have been a confident back-four and Raya makes it a confident back-five. The frailties at the back given Kepa’s mistake and his inability to play out was glaring to see.”
Arteta speaks on goalkeeper decision after cup final defeat
Arteta defended his decision to start Kepa post-match, telling reporters: “I made a decision before the game based on what he has done all season, the fact he has played in the competition and helped us be where we are today.
“It would have been very unfair to choose a different one. I have to do what I feel is right, honest and fair. 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.”
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