Wetin happen for Wembley on Sunday na one big wahala wey Arsenal fans no go forget soon. Manchester City carry Carabao Cup go house after dem beat Arsenal 2-0, and di whole story dey around one goalkeeper mistake wey change di game.
Mikel Arteta, Arsenal manager, don come out to defend im decision to play Kepa Arrizabalaga for di final. Kepa wey be second-choice goalkeeper for Arsenal, make one costly error for second half wen im allow Rayan Cherki cross slip from im hand. Nico O'Reilly quickly head di ball enter net give City di lead.
Di mistake shock everybody for stadium. Just four minutes later, O’Reilly score again to seal di win for Manchester City. Arsenal players just dey look as City collect dia medals and di trophy. Dem stand like statue with blank face and thousand-yard stare.
Arteta talk say im no regret to play Kepa because di goalkeeper don play all di Carabao Cup matches dis season. “I understand people dey criticize, but I must do wetin correct and fair. Kepa play all di competition, e go unfair to am and di team to change am for final. Error na part of football, but e just happen for crucial time,” Arteta explain.
Dis na not di first time Kepa dey involved for League Cup final drama. For 2019, wen im dey for Chelsea, im refuse to come out during penalty shootout against Manchester City under manager Maurizio Sarri. Chelsea lose dat match. Three years later, im miss penalty for shootout loss to Liverpool.
Arsenal performance for di final no reach standard at all. After promising start for first half, dia game collapse for second half. Passing become shaky, marking loose, and errors plenty. Ben White tackle on Cherki after di City player dey showboat na one of di few highlights for Arsenal fans.
Tony Adams, former Arsenal captain wey win League Cup over 30 years ago, talk say “you learn more from defeats than victories.” Dis na message Arsenal must carry for mind as dem digest dis painful loss.
Arteta add say dem go use di disappointment as fuel for di rest of di season. “We go use dis disappointment and dis fire for belly to have di most amazing two months wey we ever get together,” im promise.
Di League Cup don become one bad record for Arsenal. Dem don reach nine finals but lose seven. From 1960s wen players dey cry for muddy pitch after loss to third-tier team, to now, di competition don give Arsenal headache.
But all hope no lost for Arsenal. Dem still dey top Premier League table with nine points clear. Dem still dey for Champions League and FA Cup quarter-final against Southampton. Arteta stress say di team don show ability to bounce back after bad results dis season.
“Dat one na our work and we go manage dat energy well. Now we must pass through di pain and disappointment because e normal for football. Di good thing be say we get recent history of how dis team don react for such moments, and I sure say dem go do am again,” Arteta talk.
As international break dey come, Arsenal get chance to reset before dem face Manchester City again for Premier League match for Etihad Stadium on April 19. Di lesson from Wembley must follow dem go dat match.
For now, Arsenal fans dey feel di sting of defeat. But as Tony Adams talk before, dis kind pain fit become fuel for better performance ahead. Di season still get plenty football to play, and Arsenal ambition for trophy no end with Carabao Cup loss.
Do you have a news tip for NNN? Please email us at editor @ nnn.ng
