Arteta Defends Kepa After Arsenal's League Cup Final Loss

In the League Cup final held on Sunday, Arsenal's coach Mikel Arteta defended his choice to start Kepa Arrizabalaga as goalkeeper after a significant mistake contributed to a 2-0 loss against Manchester City. Kepa's blunder occurred in the second half when he failed to handle a cross from Rayan Cherki, allowing Nico O'Reilly to score.

This defeat leaves Arsenal without a major trophy since their FA Cup victory in 2020. Arteta expressed his belief in Kepa, who has been the regular League Cup goalkeeper this season, despite Kepa's previous experience in the 2019 final where he refused to be substituted.

Arteta acknowledged the disappointment of the loss, noting that Arsenal had been the better team in the first half and had opportunities to score. The defeat marks another setback for Arsenal, who are currently nine points clear at the top of the Premier League but are still seeking to end their trophy drought.