**Former Arsenal goalkeeper Jens Lehmann thinks Gunners boss Mikel Arteta should “stick with” Kepa Arrizabalaga for the FA Cup quarter-final tie against Southampton.**
The 31-year-old was to blame for Manchester City’s opener as the Gunners [**lost 2-0 in the Carabao Cup final**](https://goonernews.com/blog/arsenal-player-ratings-man-city-carabao-cup-final/) last weekend, but Lehmann doesn’t believe that should alter Arteta’s thinking on who starts in goal:
“Why not stick with him? Kepa is a good keeper and he’s up for the cup games.”
“You should give him playing time because something could happen to Raya and then you need a good backup on the bench who is full of confidence and knows he has the trust of his manager.”
Kepa has started every domestic cup tie this season
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Since joining from Chelsea for £5m last summer, the Spaniard has made 10 appearances in total for the Gunners.
Kepa played all six games in the Carabao Cup, and he has featured in the first three rounds of the FA Cup, having also been given a run out in the final Champions League group game versus Kairat Almaty back in January.
Will Arteta swap his keepers?
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As Kepa has started every cup game, there is no reason to believe that he will be dropped for the Southampton fixture, but other considerations may come into play.
Arsenal will want to rebuild some momentum after the international break, and while the hopes of a quadruple have been dashed, a treble is still very much on the cards.
For that to happen, they need an error-free performance against Southampton. The Saints will not be pushovers. They are making a late push for the playoffs in the Championship.
With that in mind, Arteta may feel that selecting Raya is the right call to give his team the best possible chance of securing an important result.
[**Read more about the Arsenal First Team Squad for 2025/26 here**](https://goonernews.com/blog/arsenal-first-team-squad/)