Coach Mikel Arteta: 'I am very sad, this defeat is truly hard to accept'

Mikel Arteta could not hide his disappointment as Arsenal lost to Man City in the Carabao Cup final, ending the dream of a "quadruple" and forcing the Gunners to face harsh reality.

Early morning on March 23 (Vietnam time), Coach Mikel Arteta could not hide his disappointment as Arsenal lost 0-2 to Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley Stadium, thereby officially ending their ambition to win a "quadruple" this season.

The match in London saw a turning point in the second half, when Nico O'Reilly scored a double to help Man City clinch the title. Notably, the opening goal stemmed from an error by goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga, whom Arteta trusted to give the starting spot in this competition.

Speaking after the match, the Spanish strategist admitted: "I am very sad, this is a difficult defeat to accept. We understand how significant this trophy is to the fans."

Even though Kepa made a mistake directly leading to the conceded goal, Arteta defended his decision to use this goalkeeper: "I understand the debates, but I must do what I believe is right. He has played throughout the tournament, and it would be very unfair not to continue trusting him. Mistakes are part of football, and unfortunately it happened at a crucial moment."

This defeat also ends Arsenal's dream of winning four trophies, as they previously still had opportunities to compete in the Premier League, FA Cup, and the Champions League. This is also the first time the "Gunners" have featured in a League Cup final since the 2017/18 season, when they also lost to the same Man City.

Nevertheless, Arteta emphasized that the team must turn the pain into motivation: "We must assess everything correctly. The whole team will transform this into motivation, use it as an inner fire. We must overcome the disappointment, because that is part of football."

He also pointed out that the 25-minute period at the start of the second half was when Arsenal lost control of the match: "We should have performed better. But we also need to respect the opponent. Of course, there are still many things we must improve."

Additionally, Arteta confirmed that Eberechi Eze will not be able to join the England national team due to a calf injury and requires further examination time.

Despite the defeat at Wembley, Arsenal still have full opportunities in the remaining competitions, and according to Arteta, how the team reacts after this setback will be the most important thing in the rest of the season.