{"id":950,"date":"2026-03-19T17:09:02","date_gmt":"2026-03-19T17:09:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/osport.com.ng\/?p=950"},"modified":"2026-03-19T17:09:02","modified_gmt":"2026-03-19T17:09:02","slug":"mikel-arteta-has-six-arsenal-starting-xi-decisions-to-clarify-for-carabao-cup-final","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/osport.com.ng\/?p=950","title":{"rendered":"Mikel Arteta has six Arsenal starting XI decisions to clarify for Carabao Cup final"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"article-body\">\n<h2 class=\"LeadText_lead-text__wd_PA __className_2bf2ce\" data-testid=\"leadtext\">Arsenal lock horns with Premier League title rivals Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley Stadium on Sunday<\/h2>\n<p><button class=\"SlideViewerButton_slide-viewer-button__BDJoG\" aria-label=\"Open image viewer\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-controls=\"image-lightbox\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-embed__0T8WX ImageEmbed_image-lead__Ti3qQ\" data-testid=\"leadimage\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-articleid=\"33625190\">\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-container__2AIQm\">\n<figure class=\"Figure_figure__Uce4f\" style=\"--figure-aspect-ratio:1.5\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Mikel Arteta\" loading=\"eager\" sizes=\"(max-width: 508px) 508px, (max-width: 615px) 615px, 1200px\" src=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.football.london\/article33625190.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200f\/0_GettyImages-2266877029.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.football.london\/article33625190.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s508\/0_GettyImages-2266877029.jpg 508w, https:\/\/i2-prod.football.london\/article33625190.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s615\/0_GettyImages-2266877029.jpg 615w, https:\/\/i2-prod.football.london\/article33625190.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200f\/0_GettyImages-2266877029.jpg 1200w\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"ImageCaption_caption__j7HRu\" data-testid=\"image-caption\">\n<p aria-label=\"Mikel Arteta is hoping to win his second trophy as Arsenal boss this weekend\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-title__ccyQU\" data-testid=\"caption-title\">Mikel Arteta is hoping to win his second trophy as Arsenal boss this weekend<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<p><\/button><\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh  undefined\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Mikel Arteta is facing plenty of big calls when he decides his Arsenal starting XI for this weekend&#8217;s crunch Carabao Cup final.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh  undefined\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">The Spaniard is bidding to win his second piece of silverware as Gunners head coach on Sunday after lifting the FA Cup in his debut season (2019-20).<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh  undefined\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">There&#8217;s hope glory at Wembley could be the first of a number of trophies this term but given the strength of the opposition, victory is unlikely to come easy.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh  undefined\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Theoretically, you can only say five of his 11 starters have already been decided, provided there is no late injury news.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh  undefined\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes will start at the heart of defence, Martin Zubimendi and Declan Rice will look to control the midfield and Bukayo Saka will feature in attack.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh  undefined\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\"><strong class=\"Strong_strong__e2x35\">FOLLOW OUR ARSENAL FB PAGE! Latest Gunners news, analysis and much more via our dedicated Facebook page<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh  undefined\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Outside of that, Arteta is facing several huge decisions, not least between the sticks. Second-choice goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga has started every match so far in the competition but perhaps there&#8217;s an argument that David Raya should get the nod.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh  undefined\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Kepa played a big role in the elimination of Crystal Palace and was the hero in the shootout but incredibly, he&#8217;s lost all five of the domestic cup finals he was involved in with Chelsea.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh  undefined\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">He missed the decisive penalty during the shootout defeat to Liverpool in 2022 and famously refused to leave the field when Maurizio Sarri tried to substitute him in the 2019 final against Manchester City.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh  undefined\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">At right-back, there&#8217;s still hope that Jurrien Timber will be able to shake off his recent injury to start but if not, Ben White and Cristian Mosquera are candidates to fill the void.<\/p>\n<div data-testid=\"image-group\"><button class=\"SlideViewerButton_slide-viewer-button__BDJoG\" aria-label=\"Open image viewer\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-controls=\"image-lightbox\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-embed__0T8WX false\" data-testid=\"imageembed-33593982\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-articleid=\"33593982\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"image\">\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-container__2AIQm\">\n<figure class=\"Figure_figure__Uce4f\" style=\"--figure-aspect-ratio:1.5\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Jurrien Timber\" loading=\"lazy\" sizes=\"(max-width: 458px) 458px, (max-width: 615px) 615px, 1200px\" src=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.football.london\/article33593982.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200e\/0_Arsenal-v-Everton-Premier-League.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.football.london\/article33593982.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s458b\/0_Arsenal-v-Everton-Premier-League.jpg 458w, https:\/\/i2-prod.football.london\/article33593982.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s615b\/0_Arsenal-v-Everton-Premier-League.jpg 615w, https:\/\/i2-prod.football.london\/article33593982.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200e\/0_Arsenal-v-Everton-Premier-League.jpg 1200w\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"ImageCaption_caption__j7HRu\" data-testid=\"image-caption\">\n<p aria-label=\"Arsenal full-back Jurrien Timber is facing a race against the clock to prove his fitness for the Carabao Cup final\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-title__ccyQU\" data-testid=\"caption-title\">Arsenal full-back Jurrien Timber is facing a race against the clock to prove his fitness for the Carabao Cup final<cite aria-label=\"Image: Getty Images\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-credit__wlx1W\" data-testid=\"caption-credit\">(Image: Getty Images)<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<p><\/button><\/div>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh  undefined\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">At left-back, Piero Hincapie has been ahead of Riccardo Calafiori in the pecking order but Calafiori has performed well in recent matches and has history against City after netting a rocket at the Etihad Stadium in 2024.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh  undefined\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Eberechi Eze should start in midfield but there&#8217;s a chance Kai Havertz could also enter Arteta&#8217;s thinking as the No.10 or alternatively, the German could start ahead of Viktor Gyokeres in attack.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh  undefined\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Then there is fierce competition for places at left-wing where Leandro Trossard, Gabriel Martinelli and Noni Madueke are all candidates to feature.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh  undefined\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Whatever starting XI Arteta selects, what&#8217;s clear is he has a very competitive squad that is stacked with top-quality options.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"Factbox_factbox-container__hSMOa\" id=\"factbox\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-label=\"Entering Factbox content\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-articleid=\"32887284\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"factbox\" data-testid=\"factbox\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" sizes=\"(max-width: 615px) 615px, (max-width: 810px) 810px, 1168px\" src=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.football.london\/article32887212.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1168v\/0_SEEING-RED-ART-1.jpg\" srcset=\"&#10;        https:\/\/i2-prod.football.london\/article32887212.ece\/ALTERNATES\/n615\/0_SEEING-RED-ART-1.jpg 615w,&#10;        https:\/\/i2-prod.football.london\/article32887212.ece\/ALTERNATES\/n810\/0_SEEING-RED-ART-1.jpg 810w,&#10;        https:\/\/i2-prod.football.london\/article32887212.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1168v\/0_SEEING-RED-ART-1.jpg 1168w&#10;    \"\/><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"HeadingThree_heading-three__PBHLs Factbox_heading-three__NXU52 __className_8f5158\">Welcome to &#8216;Seeing Red&#8217; &#8211; our new Arsenal podcast<\/h3>\n<div class=\"Factbox_content__xdMV8\">\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh  undefined\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">We&#8217;ve launched a new Arsenal podcast &#8216;Seeing Red&#8217; with chief football writer John Cross and Arsenal reporter Tom Canton.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh  undefined\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Each week, they will dive deep into the biggest topics as they follow Mikel Arteta&#8217;s side every step of the way &#8211; and will also discuss nostalgic flashbacks before each fixture.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh  undefined\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">It&#8217;s a great time to be an Arsenal fan, with the Gunners flying high under Arteta as they look to win silverware this season.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh  undefined\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">The North Londoners are going strong in the Premier League and Champions League &#8211; and they&#8217;re also in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh  undefined\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">We&#8217;ll provide insight and reaction &#8211; and have fun along the way &#8211; as Arsenal target the biggest trophies this season.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh  undefined\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">No stone will be left unturned. VAR controversy? Poor performances? Unsung hero who deserves praise? Fixture chaos? We&#8217;ll have it all covered.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh  undefined\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Click here to view our YouTube channel<!-- --><\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh  undefined\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Click here to download our podcasts<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Arsenal lock horns with Premier League title rivals Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":951,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"pagelayer_contact_templates":[],"_pagelayer_content":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-950","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-arsenal"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/osport.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/950","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/osport.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/osport.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/osport.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/osport.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=950"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/osport.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/950\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/osport.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/951"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/osport.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=950"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/osport.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=950"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/osport.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=950"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}