Arsecast Extra Episode 687 - 23.03.2026
Arseblog Arsecast, The Arsenal Podcast
arseblog.com
4.8 • 6.9K Ratings
🗓️ 23 March 2026
⏱️ 96 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In this episode we look back on Sunday's disappointing 2-0 defeat to Man City in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley. We start with discussion of team selection informed by injury, the early chances for Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka, and the way the dynamic of the game potentially changed after the Piero Hincapie yellow card. Arsenal struggled to deal with City's tactical set-up, which leads to a discussion about Mikel Arteta's decision to start Kepa over David Raya. There's focus on the keeper after his big mistake, but were we also impacted by the drop off between him and Raya with the ball at his feet? That goalkeeper decision comes under real scrutiny as Arteta gave into sentiment, which is not really like him, before we examine both goals we conceded and our difficulties at the other end. We also talk about how it's ok to feel annoyed at losing a final even if we have lots more to play for, and there are listener questions about number 2 keepers in general, Rice and Zubimendi, Bukayo Saka, and lots more besides.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hello and welcome to another Arscast Extra as always, with James from GutterBlog James. |
| 0:17.1 | Good morning to you. |
| 0:18.2 | Good morning, Andrew. |
| 0:19.7 | How are you today? |
| 0:21.9 | Yeah, so this heady mix of slightly sanguine but also fucked off. |
| 0:26.9 | Do you know what I just did before we started recording? |
| 0:29.1 | I went back to listen to the start of the Arscast Extra when we last lost a league |
| 0:36.8 | cup final to Manchester City in 2018. |
| 0:40.6 | Oh. |
| 0:41.2 | And we spent, well, I spent about 40 seconds wishing everybody a good day, good morning, |
| 0:47.3 | good afternoon, good evening, whatever time, to sort of delay the inevitable of getting |
| 0:52.4 | into a discussion about that particular game. |
| 0:54.7 | So I think we're kind of in similar territory at this point. |
| 0:59.4 | I guess, I mean, look, it's not the worst idea because everything is relative. |
| 1:02.3 | And I think the general picture in 2018 was certainly a bit more bleak. |
| 1:08.2 | But yeah, I do feel quite... I personally feel quite low about this one. |
| 1:14.7 | I know there's all the caveats around it of, it's just the Caravow Cup. |
| 1:18.9 | Sure. |
| 1:19.6 | So it's, you know, it's not the biggest prize on offer this season. |
| 1:22.7 | But I went to Wembley hoping, really hoping, I'm really looking forward to the prospect of an Arsenal win and thinking it was very much there for us to do. |
| 1:34.6 | So it's a big anti-climax, I think, to have been beaten. |
| 1:39.5 | I think that is quite correct, you know, and I know that probably later on there might be a bit |
... |
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