Rio Ferdinand Slams Mikel Arteta for Sentimental Carabao Cup Selection After Kepa Error Costs Arsenal Quadruple Hopes

Rio Ferdinand explains why David Raya's absence led to Arsenal's tactical failure against Man City's press during the Carabao Cup final loss.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 23, 2026, 4:29 PM EDT

Source: The information in this article was sourced from Football365

A Costly Choice Between Sentiment and Tactical Necessity

The fallout from Arsenal’s Carabao Cup final loss has centered on the decision to bench David Raya, a player Rio Ferdinand currently labels the finest goalkeeper in world football. While Kepa Arrizabalaga had maintained his position throughout the earlier rounds of the tournament, his performance against Manchester City exposed a lack of tactical flexibility that Ferdinand believes David Raya would have mitigated. According to Ferdinand, the decision to stick with a secondary option for the sake of sentimentality was a strategic error that allowed Manchester City to execute their high-press game plan with total conviction, ultimately denying the Gunners their first piece of silverware this season.

The Pressing Problem and the Absence of Raya’s Distribution

Beyond the physical errors that led to Nico O’Reilly’s decisive goals, the tactical discrepancy between Arsenal’s two goalkeepers proved to be the defining factor of the match. Ferdinand noted that Raya’s specific skill set—his bravery on the ball and his ability to play through or over a high press—would have introduced an element of doubt into Manchester City’s approach. Without Raya’s distribution, the North London side struggled to transition from defense to attack, appearing visibly uncomfortable under the sustained pressure applied by Pep Guardiola’s side. According to Ferdinand, the presence of a confident ball-playing goalkeeper transforms a back four into a confident back five, a stability that was sorely lacking on Sunday.

Questioning the Development of a Winning Culture at Arsenal

The critique extends to the broader philosophy Mikel Arteta is attempting to instill at the Emirates Stadium. While Manchester City’s recent history of trophy successes allows them the luxury of rotation, Ferdinand argues that Arsenal is in a different phase of development where every final must be approached with the strongest possible lineup. By allowing the trophy to "slip through his fingers" due to loyalty to a backup player, Arteta may have inadvertently slowed the momentum of a squad chasing a historic quadruple. The contrast in mindsets between the two finalists was glaring, as City capitalized on the perceived frailties in the Arsenal rear guard from the opening whistle.