Arteta’s Revenge: Where can Arsenal improve ahead of April’s clash with Manchester City? | OneFootball

The psychological scars of Wembley remain fresh, but for Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, there is no time for a post-mortem.

Sunday’s 2-0 EFL Cup final defeat to Manchester City was a sobering reminder that, while Arsenal currently lead the Premier League by nine points, there is still work to be done as they look to end a 22-year wait for domestic dominance.

With a crunch clash against City on April 19 to come, Arsenal must address the chinks in their armour that were ruthlessly exploited by Pep Guardiola’s men.

The most immediate takeaway from Wembley was the catastrophic failure of the ‘cup keeper’ policy. Kepa Arrizabalaga’s 60th-minute spill—which gifted Nico O’Reilly the opener—effectively swung the match.

While David Raya will undoubtedly reclaim his spot for the April clash, the defensive coordination in front of the goalkeeper remains a mounting concern.

The Gunners need to address a regression in their defensive metrics, having conceded more shots per game (10.25) over the past month than their early-season average.

The absence of Martin Odegaard and Eberechi Eze at Wembley left Arsenal’s attack looking sterile, as they recorded just 123 successful passes in the first half—their lowest in any opening 45 minutes this season.

It is imperative that Arsenal have at least one, if not both, of their most creative players available for the Etihad trip.

Arsenal were in the ascendancy for large spells of the first half and won the xG battle (0.47 to 0.33), but were dismantled after the interval, losing the second-half xG battle 1.18 to 0.17.

This drop-off cannot be repeated, and Arteta must find a way to maintain his side’s intensity over the full 90 minutes when they next face their title challengers.