Mikel Arteta stood by his decision to select Kepa Arrizabalaga between the posts for Sunday's Carabao Cup final, maintaining he would make the identical choice again despite Arsenal's defeat to Manchester City at Wembley.
The Spanish goalkeeper, who had featured in every round of the competition this season, endured a difficult afternoon as the Gunners fell short in their bid to end their trophy drought.
Speaking after the match, Arteta told BBC 5 Live: "I made a decision before the game based on what he has done all season, the fact he has played in the competition and helped us be where we are today."
The Arsenal boss added: "It would have been very unfair to choose a different one."
Kepa's performance was marred by a series of costly mistakes that proved decisive in the outcome.
The 31-year-old first found himself in trouble when he charged off his line and became entangled with City winger Jeremy Doku.
His afternoon deteriorated further when he failed to hold a cross, spilling the ball into the path of Nico O'Reilly, who gratefully converted to put the visitors ahead.
Kepa Arrizabalaga endured a nightmare day as Arsenal beat Man City in the Carabao Cup final | PAThe young midfielder then struck again moments later, effectively ending the contest and condemning Arsenal to yet another painful defeat in a major final.
City's quick-fire double left Arteta's side with too much ground to recover, extending the club's wait for silverware.
Arteta elaborated on his reasoning in his post-match press conference, emphasising the principles guiding his selection policy.
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Crystal Palace will be targeting Carabao Cup glory following their win over Liverpool at Anfield | PA/GETTY/GBNEWS"I have to do what I feel is right, which is honest and which is fair, and I think we have an understanding with Kepa," he explained.
"He's played all the competition and I think it would have been very, very unfair for him and for the team to do something different."
The manager acknowledged that goalkeepers must earn their place like any outfield player, noting he cannot guarantee anyone specific competitions.
"We are guided by what we've seen and what he's done, what he's done in the competition, and he helped us to go all the way through here," Arteta said.
"Errors are part of football, and today it happened, unfortunately, in a crucial moment."
Arteta described the loss as "a really sad day" that left him and his squad devastated.
Nico O'Reilly scored twice to become a Manchester City hero against Arsenal
| REUTERS"It's painful, especially for our player and supporters because we really wanted to lift that trophy today," he reflected.
The manager felt his team had the better of the opening period, creating the two clearest opportunities before City struck twice in quick succession.
"It was two very different halves, especially the first half when I think we were better than them and had the best two chances of the game. We didn't capitalise on that," he admitted.
Kepa also drew criticism for repeatedly delaying goal kicks beyond 30 seconds while the score remained level. When questioned whether this was a tactical instruction, Arteta declined to address the matter, saying: "It's not the moment to talk about that."