Carragher: Arteta's Loyalty Should Be to Arsenal Fans, Not Kepa

Jamie Carragher has expressed his disappointment with Mikel Arteta's decision to start Kepa Arrizabalaga over David Raya in the Carabao Cup final. Carragher believes that Arteta owes it to the Arsenal fans to field the strongest possible team, rather than showing loyalty to Kepa. He argues that Kepa's mistake, which led to Manchester City's opening goal, was a turning point in the game and that Arteta's decision to start him was a risk that did not pay off. Carragher compared the situation to James Trafford at Manchester City and Caoimhin Kelleher at Liverpool, who often started in cup competitions but were not expected to be the first choice in major finals. He also noted that David Raya is not just the first-choice goalkeeper, but also one of Arsenal's best players this season. Other pundits, including Jamie Redknapp and Ian Wright, shared Carragher's views, with Redknapp calling Arteta's decision a 'monumental error' and Wright stating that the gamble of starting Kepa did not pay off. Arteta, however, defended his decision, saying that Kepa deserved to play and that errors are part of the game.