"Arsenal not only had the chance to breathe life into their quadruple dream by earning that expected victory over an incongruously timid City, they effectively could have hammered the final nail into their coffin of the league title challenge."
"Sticking by Kepa Arrizabalaga is in some ways admirable... But, with the outcome of the first showpiece of the season carrying so much more meaning than just a trophy, no chances, on an error-prone stopper, should have been taken."
"Kepa has played in three League Cup finals without winning any, famously refusing to be substituted off by Maurizio Sarri before a penalty shootout in 2019 and then blasting the decisive spot-kick over the bar as Chelsea lost to Liverpool in 2022."
Arsenal were favored to win the first silverware of the season due to Manchester City's recent decline. City, usually dominant, appeared ordinary, with Erling Haaland struggling. Arsenal had the opportunity to advance their quadruple dream and hinder City's title challenge. However, the decision to rely on Kepa Arrizabalaga, an error-prone goalkeeper, could have serious repercussions. In contrast, City's backup goalkeeper, James Trafford, is more dependable. Kepa's history in finals raises concerns about his reliability in crucial matches.
Read at The i Paper
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]