Former Arsenal goalkeeper Jens Lehmann has suggested Gunners manager Mikel Arteta took the right call by playing Kepa Arrizabalaga in last month’s 2-0 EFL Cup final defeat.
On March 22, Arteta’s side failed to maintain their quadruple charge after slumping to a EFL Cup final defeat to Manchester City at Wembley Stadium in London. Nico O’Reilly, who was playing as a left-back, scored a great brace in the second half to help the Cityzens win a trophy.
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Kepa, who left Chelsea to join the Gunners for £5 million last summer, endured an underwhelming night in the EFL Cup final. The 31-year-old goalkeeper allowed the ball to slip between his gloves for City’s opener in the 60th minute, causing fans to rue David Raya’s absence.
However, during a recent interaction with Clutch 9 Football, Lehmann asserted that Arteta was right in trusting his second-choice goalkeeper in the cup final. He stated (h/t Arsenal Insider):
“It’s not only harmony, but it’s also just (about respecting) the quality of the second goalkeeper, even the third goalkeeper sometimes… Because he got you to the final. So, you have to give him confidence and let him play, and I do not think I see such a big difference between the two of them (Kepa and Raya).”
Lehmann, who recorded 80 clean sheets in 200 appearances across competitions for the north London outfit, concluded:
“Like, I did not see a lot of differences between when I was playing and the number two at the time. So it’s only small margins, and I think it’s on a personal basis. As I said, they haven’t lost because of that. I think they’ve lost because they got a little bit too much pressure in the second half.”
Kepa, who will turn 32 this October, registered zero saves and completed 24 of his 32 passes in the EFL Cup final against Manchester City.
How have Kepa Arrizabalaga and David Raya performed for Arsenal this season?
Since departing Chelsea, Kepa Arrizabalaga has made 10 overall appearances for Arsenal. He has yet to play in the Premier League this campaign, but has kept four clean sheets in nine domestic cup starts so far.
On the other hand, David Raya is enjoying a sensational 2025-26 campaign for the north London outfit. The 30-year-old has registered an impressive 21 clean sheets in 40 total appearances, shipping just 25 goals.
Kepa is likely to start in Arsenal’s FA Cup quarter-final match against Southampton at the EFL Championship side’s stadium this Saturday.
Edited by Debkalpa Banerjee



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