The 'sentimental' goalkeeping call that cost Arsenal

For Arteta, it did not enter his mind to not play Kepa in the final. The Arsenal manager said it would have been "very unfair" if he had not stuck with the Spain international, who had played every round of the cup competition before the final, and said he accepts the scrutiny coming his way. "I understand that, but I have to do what I feel is right, which is honest and which is fair," Arteta said.

"And I think we have an understanding keeper in Kepa - he's played all the competition and I think it would have been very, very unfair for him and for the team to do something different. " The former Chelsea goalkeeper signed for the Gunners in the summer to compete with first choice David Raya. Raya has 15 clean sheets in the Premier League, the most in the division, and has produced some standout saves during this campaign as Arsenal look to end their wait for a trophy.

And Arteta says that despite Kepa's limited game time this season he did not guarantee that the goalkeeper would play in Arsenal's cup fixtures. "I can never promise a player to play certain competitions, because at the end they have to earn it and they have to do enough like any other position," he said. "We are guided by what we've seen and what he's done in the competition, and he helped us to go all the way through here.

"I believe it's the right thing to do and that's it. Errors are part of football and today it happened unfortunately in a crucial moment. " The EFL Cup brings bad memories for Kepa Arrizabalaga.