Aaron Ramsdale and the Arsenal players on notice after Mikel Arteta's Carabao Cup plan flops
Ultimately, Arsenal's Carabao Cup fourth round exit at the hands of West Ham United will have ramifications for some senior players as the season progresses.
The Gunners were far from their best at the London Stadium on Wednesday night, summed up by the fact they trailed at half-time despite the hosts failing to have a shot on target. However, they were then made to pay for a sloppy start to the second half as Mohammed Kudus and Jarrod Bowen struck to end the contest by the hour mark.
Captain Martin Odegaard did reduce the deficit in injury-time, but it was too little too late as Mikel Arteta's decision to make six changes to the side that thrashed Sheffield United at the weekend backfired. Although, the Spaniard has held back on critisicing those who came into the team.
«We have to be fair on the players, some players haven't had that many minutes,» the Arsenal manager said in the post-match press conference. «To ask them to do it straight away in the first game, in a different competition surrounded by players who haven’t started, is not a fair assessment.
»But something that is further from the assessment is doing certain things that have to be required to win a football match, especially when we play away from home against West Ham. Today we haven’t done them well enough."
One player who certainly didn't make the most of an opportunity was Aaron Ramsdale and he will certainly be affected by the cup exit and, as a result, fewer fixtures. Now, on the surface, three goals conceded on his return to the starting line-up doesn't do his chances of usurping David Raya any good.
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