FA Cup winner defends Kepa, blames Arsenal’s second-half collapse for Carabao Cup final loss

Former Arsenal and Manchester City defender Bacary Sagna has come to the defence of Kepa Arrizabalaga following the Gunners’ defeat in the Carabao Cup final, insisting the goalkeeper should not be made the sole scapegoat.

Arsenal fell to a 2-0 loss at Wembley, with Kepa’s error leading to the opening goal.

The Spanish goalkeeper, selected ahead of David Raya by manager Mikel Arteta, was at fault for the first goal after failing to deal with a cross that led to Nico O’Reilly scoring in the 60th minute.

O’Reilly added a second just four minutes later to seal victory for Manchester City.

Despite the costly mistake, Sagna backed Arteta’s decision and refused to single out Kepa for criticism.

However, Sagna believed the defeat was the result of broader team issues rather than an individual mistake.

He said, “Mikel Arteta didn’t make a mistake by starting Kepa. Although his error led to a goal, it wasn’t the sole reason Arsenal lost.”

Sagna pointed to Arsenal’s drop in intensity after halftime as a major factor in the defeat.

According to the 2014 FA Cup winner, the Gunners became overly defensive, allowing City to dominate possession and dictate the tempo.

“Arsenal began to play more defensively in the second half and allowed Manchester City to apply pressure. They were too focused on building from the back and got punished,” he explained.

Sagna also identified a key moment in the first half that could have changed the course of the game.

Kai Havertz had an early opportunity to put Arsenal ahead but was denied by City goalkeeper James Trafford.

“If Havertz had scored that chance, the outcome might have been entirely different,” Sagna noted.