Should Kepa start against Southampton on Saturday?

Having played in the earlier rounds, should Kepa stay in goal now that Arsenal are in the business end of the FA Cup?

That was the question that dominated the build-up to the Carabao Cup Final, with Gooners divided by the answer.

Despite there being zero promises made to Kepa that he would play in every cup tie, Mikel Arteta felt it would be unfair to drop the keeper the moment the Gunners reached Wembley.

While a section of our fanbase will maintain that our manager morally did the right thing against Man City, sentiment should not be prioritised over the team’s best interest, especially one that has not lifted a trophy in six years.

Key Moments and Consequences

In a fixture that was always going to be decided by the smallest details, Kepa’s error for City’s opener was a crucial moment.

So while it is noble of a boss to show loyalty, there would be less understanding if the same mistake were made again.

So many individuals went missing at Wembley; the temptation might be to play them back into form. Normally, there would be a game a few days later to get a disappointment out of your system, but the international break prevented that. Some talent has not played since, so would you want to send them to Portugal on Tuesday without an injection of confidence?

That might be undermined by playing your second-choice goalkeeper.

Loyalty versus Pragmatism

I have heard the counterargument that it makes sense for Kepa’s self-esteem to be lifted just in case an injury means he has to be used in the league.

Yet this is top-level sport, not a school sports day. No one is obliged to pick someone just to protect their feelings. Kepa is a professional who gets paid a lot of money to be our number two. If his ego cannot take being dropped, then why did he agree to move to the Emirates? He knew the situation when he made the switch across London.

If Mikel Arteta’s principles dictate that Kepa starts at Saint Mary’s, then fine, but he should not be anywhere near the semi-final (unless it is Port Vale!).