Arsenal have confirmed their starting XI for the Carabao Cup final against Manchester City, with Kepa Arrizabalaga selected in goal and Mikel Arteta naming a strong side for Wembley.
Arsenal have confirmed their team for the Carabao Cup final against Manchester City, with the headline selection call coming in goal as Kepa Arrizabalaga gets the nod at Wembley.
That means Arteta has kept faith with the goalkeeper who has featured throughout Arsenal’s cup run, rather than turning back to David Raya for the final. It is one of the biggest decisions in the team and one that had been a major talking point in the build-up, with Kepa having handled the domestic cup matches while Raya has remained Arsenal’s first-choice option more broadly.
There is also notable team news in who is not involved. Jurrien Timber and Eberechi Eze have both missed out on the squad altogether, leaving Arsenal without two players who had been part of the wider conversation before kick-off. Timber had been a fitness concern in the build-up, while Eze’s omission means Arteta has gone in a different direction with his attacking options for the final.
In defence, Ben White starts alongside William Saliba, Gabriel and Piero Hincapie. White’s inclusion is significant after the fitness concerns around Arsenal’s back line in recent days, and his presence gives Arteta an experienced option on the right for one of the biggest matches of the season.
The midfield three sees Declan Rice, Martin Zubimendi and Kai Havertz all start, giving Arsenal a combination of control, physicality and composure in the centre of the pitch. Rice’s place was never really in doubt, but Zubimendi’s inclusion adds another calm presence on the ball against a Manchester City side that will expect to dominate phases of possession.
Further forward, Bukayo Saka and Leandro Trossard support Viktor Gyokeres. That front line gives Arsenal pace, movement and a clear focal point through the middle, with Gyokeres again trusted to lead the attack on a major occasion.
The overall selection points to Arteta going strong for Arsenal’s first chance of silverware this season. The headline remains Kepa’s inclusion in goal, but Timber and Eze missing out altogether are also significant parts of the team news before kick-off.
Arsenal XI vs Man City
Kepa; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Hincapie; Zubimendi, Rice, Havertz; Saka, Trossard, Gyokeres.
Arsenal substitutes vs Man City
David Raya, Cristhian Mosquera, Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Martinelli, Christian Norgaard, Noni Madueke, Riccardo Calafiori, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Max Dowman.
From Arsenal’s point of view, the focus now shifts from selection to execution. Arteta has named a side packed with senior quality, but the absence of Timber and Eze reduces his options before a ball has even been kicked.
As Arteta said about the team in the Carabao Cup Programme notes: ‘It’s time for us to make new memories now’