Arsenal Player Ratings vs. Man City: Arteta's Bold Gamble Explodes in His Face

LONDON — Arsenal suffered a crushing 2–0 loss to Manchester City in Sunday's Carabao Cup final following a costly error from substitute goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga.

Mikel Arteta had no requirement to persist with the keeper merely because he had featured in every previous round of the tournament. He might have been torn between options as, unlike his counterpart Pep Guardiola, he declined to announce his goalkeeper selection before kickoff. Ultimately, Arteta demonstrated confidence in Kepa, who immediately betrayed that trust.

With the match still scoreless after sixty minutes, Arrizabalaga allowed Rayan Cherki's delivery (and Arsenal's ambitions) to slip from his hands, gifting Nico O'Reilly the contest's first goal. The academy graduate would net a second from an almost identical spot just four minutes afterward, exploiting the confused state of an Arsenal team that collapsed quickly at Wembley.

One Thing We Can't Ignore

What is it with Kepa and Carabao Cup finals? Seven years after the notorious evening he declined to be replaced by Chelsea's Maurizio Sarri before a penalty shootout that Manchester City would claim, the stubborn Spaniard endured another night lamenting the harsh flavor of Thailand's runner-up energy beverage.

Nobody compelled Arteta to bench David Raya, undoubtedly among the finest goalkeepers globally, on the substitutes' bench. There would be no opportunity to call upon him during play: Everyone understands that once you select Kepa there's no possibility he'll be withdrawn.

Whether Arteta's choice to support his Basque shot-stopper was swayed by Guardiola's pre-announced selection of James Trafford remains unknowable. But while City's reserve rose to the occasion, Arsenal's fumbled the opportunity, quite literally.

The Gunners had controlled Sunday's opening period, brilliantly silencing the perpetual Carabao Cup winners while creating scoring opportunities themselves. The sole obstacle was Trafford, who produced three excellent stops during one frantic sequence in the seventh minute.

Kepa would finish the match with more grappling attempts (two) than saves (zero). A fundamental error judging a bouncing ball compelled the ex-Chelsea keeper to drag Jérémy Doku to the ground early in the second period, establishing the pattern for a much more erratic display from all Arsenal players after halftime.

It would be unjust to place Arsenal's defeat entirely on Kepa's dejected shoulders. The Gunners' complete left flank deserves equal blame for succumbing to the most predictable City attack possible—there's no imaginable scenario where Cherki's overlapping movement wasn't discussed in Arteta's pre-match tactical preparation.

However, this game can be ruthlessly individual at times and Kepa made it remarkably simple to isolate himself.

Arsenal Player Ratings vs. Man City (4-2-3-1)

*Ratings provided by FotMob*

GK: Kepa Arrizabalaga—5.1: There was a ghostly appearance about Kepa at the final whistle, walking around with his shoulders back, squeezing a water bottle into his mouth while gazing into the distance perhaps pondering where it all went astray. Securing the ball would be one starting point.

RB: Ben White—6.1: Filling in for the sidelined Jurriën Timber, White frequently found himself trapped between two blue positions; uncertain whether to advance on the inverted Nico O'Reilly or follow Jérémy Doku wide. It wasn't encouraging that both City goals originated from the far post White was supposedly covering.

CB: William Saliba—7.2: Contained Haaland for most of the match. Unfortunate to finish on the losing team.

CB: Gabriel Magalhães—6.3: True to his promise, Gabriel pressed both palms firmly into Haaland's torso within five seconds of the opening whistle. Saliba handled most of the difficult work subsequently, allowing Gabriel to clean up elsewhere.

LB: Piero Hincapié—5.8: Cautioned within fifteen minutes of the final, Hincapié performed with obvious and unusual uncertainty when confronting Antoine Semenyo afterward. It was no accident that both O'Reilly's strikes originated from his side.

CM: Martín Zubimendi—6.2: Like a typical recreational tennis player; the stronger the opposition, the better Zubimendi performs. Began excellently but, like Arsenal as a whole, diminished after the break.

CM: Declan Rice—6.3: As hardworking as always without possession, Rice lacked some essential finesse.

AM: Kai Havertz—5.5: Replacing the missing Eberechi Eze, Havertz highlighted his reputation as a player with a puzzling combination of skill and awkwardness.

RW: Bukayo Saka—6.3: Pushed to the margins of a game he seldom looked likely to influence.

ST: Viktor Gyökeres—5.7: Competed with genuine energy and enthusiasm, quickly proving he could match City's two central defenders physically. Simply didn't receive sufficient service.

LW: Leandro Trossard—6.5: The most significant contribution Arsenal's winger provided came from a defensive perspective rather than offensive play.

SUB: Riccardo Calafiori (65' for Hincapié)—7.2: Displayed some uncommon boldness with the ball during his brief appearance.

SUB: Noni Madueke (66' for Havertz)—: Unable to create an impact.

SUB: Gabriel Jesus (82' for Trossard)—N/A

SUB: Gabriel Martinelli (82' for White)—N/A

Subs not used: David Raya (GK), Cristhian Mosquera, Christian Nørgaard, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Max Dowman.

Player of the match: Nico O'Reilly (Man City)

Arsenal player of the match: William Saliba

What These Ratings Tell Us

The Numbers That Explain Carabao Cup Heartache for Arsenal