![\"FBL-ENG-FACUP-SOUTHAMPTON-ARSENAL\"](\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/GettyImages-2269247318.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646\")
\t<\/div>David Raya admitted there was little he could do but accept Mikel Arteta\u2019s controversial decision to leave his first choice goalkeeper out of his starting line-up for the Carabao Cup final defeat against Manchester City. <\/p>\n
The Spain international has been one of Arsenal\u2019s standout performers throughout the course a season which could yet end in Premier League and Champions League glory, despite two recent setbacks.<\/p>\n
A comprehensive Wembley defeat against City saw hopes of a quadruple go up in some and that damaging loss was compounded by a shock FA Cup reversal at Southampton last weekend. <\/p>\n
On both occasions Arteta opted to select his cup keeper, Kepa Arrizabalaga, and leave Raya on the bench.<\/p>\n
The summer signing from Chelsea committed a ghastly error to gift City the lead in the League Cup final and although he was powerless to prevent with of the Saints\u2019 goals at St Mary\u2019s,Arsenal\u2019s normally dependable back four looked jittery without Raya\u2019s calming presence behind them.<\/p>\n
Raya will return to the starting XI this evening as Arsenal attempt to get their campaign back on track against Sporting Lisbon and the former Brentford star was in philosophical mood after being forced to watch the last two matches from the sidelines. <\/p>\n
He said: \u2018Its part of football. Sometimes you get picked, sometimes you don\u2019t.<\/p>\n
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Metro<\/strong>‘s weekly newsletter In The Mixer delivers punchy analysis and breakdowns of the biggest football stories directly to your inbox.<\/p>\n Sign up here, it’s an open goal.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n \u2018You have to be there for your teammates, and for Kepa in this example. The boss decides who plays and who doesn\u2019t and we are used to those types of decisions.\u2019<\/p>\n On the mood in the camp after seeing hopes of ending a six-year trophy drought evaporate at the hands of their main rivals for the league title, Raya added: \u2018After the Man City game, we went away, he stayed here. After Southampton there is not much you can say.<\/p>\n \u2018The team understands the standards that we set, so there are no conversations. You are just trying to be a good teammate like we are.\u2019<\/p>\n A positive result in Lisbon this evening would, meanwhile, help steady the ship and generate a measure of momentum ahead of a huge game against Bournemouth on Saturday which will provide an opportunity to extend Arsenal\u2019s lead over City to 12 points, albeit having played two games more. <\/p>\n \u2018I think every game is an opportunity and the next game is tomorrow,\u2019 added Raya.<\/p>\n \u2018There will be talk about the two losses but we have to see it as an opportunity to see what we are and it is a massive one tomorrow but this team is up for it.\u2019<\/p>\n Arsenal have happy memories of the Jose Alvalade Stadium given they romped to a 5-1 win at the same venue last season but Arteta sounded a note of caution in his pre-match press conference. <\/p>\n \u2018Every moment of a team is different, obviously they\u2019re in a high moment, especially the way they got into the quarter-finals and the game they played, for example, here against Paris or the recent form in the league,\u2019 he said. <\/p>\n \u2018That\u2019s it, at the moment the whistle goes, it\u2019s a game, it\u2019s a game that\u2019s going to have different kind of moments and it\u2019s how we\u2019re going to master those moments to take the game where we want and win it.<\/p>\n \u2018They have a lot of quality, as you say, a lot of variability within the spaces that a lot of players can occupy in the attacking phase and then they can unbalance the game because they have individual quality and you haven\u2019t mentioned some others as well that they have the capacity to do that.<\/p>\n \u2018Obviously, the phase of play when those players get in those positions starts earlier normally.\u00a0So the problem starts earlier than sometimes in this moment it\u2019s too late to give the solution. That\u2019s what we\u2019re trying to do.\u2019<\/p>\n![\"Arsenal](\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/GettyImages-2267855770.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646\")
\t<\/div>![\"Arsenal](\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/GettyImages-2264278916.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=594\")
\t<\/div>![\"Sporting](\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/GettyImages-2187093952.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646\")
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