Arsenal face Manchester City on Sunday afternoon in the Carabao Cup final, looking to win their first piece of silverware since 2020, and Mikel Arteta has a crucial team selection decision to make ahead of the clash.
The Gunners are still pursuing an unprecedented quadruple after easing past Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League in midweek. They’re now in the last eight of Europe’s elite competition, the last eight of the FA Cup, and they sit nine points clear at the top of the Premier League table.
Sunday’s final will set the tone for the rest of the season, and thus, it’s imperative that Arteta’s team come out on top and have the momentum with them for the run-in. While the Spaniard will likely field his best possible team across the pitch, there may be one exception – in between the sticks.
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Kepa Arrizabalaga hints that he’ll start for Arsenal vs Man City
Arteta faces the classic cup final selection decision: play your best and first-choice goalkeeper or stick with the deputy who got you into this position? Kepa Arrizabalaga has started every match in Arsenal’s run to the final, including both legs of the semi-final against Chelsea.
In years gone by, there wouldn’t have been much debate in this scenario, with Arsenal not boasting the most impressive back-up shot-stoppers. The likes of Matt Turner and Norberto Neto weren’t palatable options for Arteta, and David Raya would’ve assumed his place in the starting eleven.
However, the Gunners haven’t had a number two of Kepa’s calibre for a while, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if the manager decides to show faith in the former Chelsea man and starts him at Wembley.
It appears as though the tactician is leaning that way already, anyway. Speaking to the Sun, Kepa hinted that he’s likely to start by revealing how he prepares to deal with the atmosphere.
The matchwinner.
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) December 24, 2025
Last night's Player of the Match as voted by you: Kepa Arrizabalaga 🧤 pic.twitter.com/RgT2qWnXdd
“The atmosphere at Wembley is so special, everything around the game is special – the build-up and everything,” he said.
“You know you are out there playing for a title, and right now in this moment of football, every title is so difficult to get.
“You know you are one game away from being able to lift a trophy. Obviously, it’s going to be a tough game, a very difficult game, but we’ll go for it.
“I have played in the League Cup final before, but I have played many finals in my career; I have been lucky in that way.
“So I will just approach the game the best way that I can. We will prepare everything in the best way, because at the end, the aim is to win.”
Worrying Kepa Arrizabalaga stat
This wouldn’t be Kepa’s first rodeo in a cup final, as he alluded to. The Basque keeper famously started for Chelsea in the Carabao Cup final in 2019, when he refused to be substituted by Maurizio Sarri before the penalty shootout took place.
The Blues subsequently went on to lose that final on spot-kicks, and Kepa was forever immortalised by the opponents, City, for his bizarre role in that game at Wembley.
However, the more alarming aspect for Gunners fans is Kepa’s overall record in finals. The goalkeeper has been involved in five finals since he moved to England, two in the Carabao Cup and three in the FA Cup.
Kepa Arrizabalaga. @Arsenal’s penalty shootout saviour 🧤
— Carabao Cup (@Carabao_Cup) December 24, 2025
18/19 – Finalist🥈
21/22 – Finalist 🥈
25/26 – ❓ pic.twitter.com/KuSuxnNXjM
He lost all five finals. After his 2019 antics, he also started the 2022 Carabao Cup final against Liverpool, which they also lost on penalties.
As for the FA Cup, Kepa was on the bench for two of Chelsea’s defeats, although he did play when Thomas Tuchel’s team lost to Leicester City in 2021. He was beaten by a stunning long-range effort from Youri Tielemans, which ultimately decided the final.
Should Kepa Arrizabalaga start against Man City?
Ultimately, for the sake of the dressing room, Kepa should start against City. Part of the reason he likely agreed to join Arsenal and deputise for Raya was that he would’ve been promised all cup minutes, regardless of how far the Gunners got in each domestic cup competition.
Upsetting this agreement could mess with the dressing room dynamics between the goalkeepers, and Arteta would be risking unsettling a clearly spikey character. Kepa has earned his position for this game, and the manager should show some loyalty to him.
That said, Raya is obviously the better player, and Arteta may not be fussed with Kepa’s potential discontent. Ultimately, winning the competition is the most important thing, and this may just mean that the ex-Brentford man gets the nod.
