Kepa and the Wembley curse: Three tragic chapters in the League Cup final.

Arsenal's 0-2 defeat to Manchester City in the 2026 Carabao Cup final not only dashed the Gunners' dreams of winning four trophies but also marked the third chapter in Kepa Arrizabalaga's disastrous run at Wembley. The Spanish goalkeeper once again became the target of criticism after an inconsistent performance in a crucial moment.

The 2026 disaster: The Gunners' moment of collapse.

Entering the final as the favored team, Mikel Arteta's Arsenal controlled the game well in the first half. However, the turning point came in the second half after Kepa received a yellow card for fouling Jeremy Doku. The psychological pressure seemed to cause the goalkeeper to lose his usual concentration.

In the 60th minute, from a Rayan Cherki cross, Kepa fumbled the ball in a basic aerial challenge. This elementary mistake allowed Nico O'Reilly to easily tap the ball into the empty net. Just four minutes later, O'Reilly completed his brace, sealing a 2-0 victory for Man City. Despite his teammates' efforts with two shots hitting the crossbar at the end of the match, Kepa's error proved to be an insurmountable obstacle.

The terrifying memories of 2019: The rebellion against Maurizio Sarri

To understand why fans are so harsh on Kepa, we need to look back at the shocking incident in 2019 when he was still playing for Chelsea. In the final against Manchester City, the match went to a penalty shootout after 120 minutes without a goal.

When manager Maurizio Sarri called for a substitution to bring on penalty specialist Willy Caballero, Kepa openly defied the order. The image of Sarri angrily almost storming into the tunnel became a stain on the goalkeeper's career. Ultimately, Kepa remained on the pitch but couldn't help Chelsea win after missing a penalty from Sergio Aguero, resulting in The Blues losing 3-4 on penalties.

Tragedy of 2022: A shot over the bar against Liverpool

Three years later, a similar scenario repeated itself in the 2022 Carabao Cup final between Chelsea and Liverpool. This time, Kepa was brought on in the 120th minute as the "penalty shootout hero." However, reality unfolded in the worst possible way.

Kepa failed to save any of Liverpool's 11 penalties. The height of frustration came when he stepped up to take the final one. His shot, which flew straight into the stands, directly handed the championship to Jurgen Klopp's team.

Kepa's forgettable statistics in Carabao Cup finals.

Overall, Wembley Stadium seems to have become the place holding the most painful memories of Kepa Arrizabalaga's career. With his latest mistake in an Arsenal shirt, the goalkeeper's future at Emirates Stadium is in serious doubt as he has failed to demonstrate his mettle in crucial matches.