Arsenal is determined to break their six-year trophy drought, while Kepa Arrizabalaga seeks personal redemption in a tournament that brings back some challenging memories for him.

In 2019, before Mikel Arteta celebrated his FA Cup victory with Arsenal, Kepa was in the spotlight at Wembley for reasons he’d rather forget.

During the Carabao Cup final against Manchester City, the former Chelsea goalkeeper defied orders. Manager Maurizio Sarri wanted to replace Kepa with Willy Caballero, known for his penalty-saving prowess. However, Kepa refused to leave the pitch.

This incident haunted him for years, shaping perceptions about his attitude. For many, it epitomized a career that never fully lived up to the expectations set by his record-breaking £71 million transfer from Athletic Bilbao in 2018, which still stands as the highest fee ever paid for a goalkeeper.

Now at 31, Kepa is back in the Carabao Cup spotlight, seeking to revitalize his career. Arteta, recognizing his ambition and experience, including winning the Champions League, Europa League, and Club World Cup, has entrusted him as a backup for David Raya.

Kepa Arrizabalaga started Arsenal’s Carabao Cup semi-final first leg win at his old club Chelsea — now he will be desperate to finish the job tonight

Kepa hasn’t featured in the Premier League this season but has impressed in cup competitions, helping Arsenal to a penalty shootout victory over Crystal Palace in the quarter-final

The Carabao Cup holds some bad memories for Kepa — he refused to come off the pitch while playing for Chelsea in the 2019 final, before the Blues lost on penalties

Last summer, Kepa signed a three-year contract with Arsenal after a season-long loan at Bournemouth, where he played 35 matches.

As expected, no league minutes have followed, though the player has started all of Arsenal’s Carabao Cup matches so far this season, as well as their FA Cup third-round victory over Portsmouth and Champions League dead-rubber match against Kairat Almaty.

Tuesday’s Carabao Cup semi-final second leg pits Kepa against his old team Chelsea, with silverware in touching distance. Facing a club that once invested heavily in him and lived through his lowest moments, most prominently in this competition, feels a little ironic.

When asked by Daily Mail Sport on how he convinced Kepa to come to Arsenal as his No2 keeper, Arteta said: ‘To be fair, the first conversations were with (goalkeeping coach) Inaki (Cana). Inaki explained to him the possibility. I think they had a relationship before. Inaki presented it to me, and I really liked it.

‘I have a lot of friends and people who have worked with him (Kepa) for many years. I said, “If we have the chance, let’s do it”. I spoke to him.

‘He was very open. He was very excited. He was coming here to compete.

‘On top of that, he had a great relationship with David. So, yes, I think he felt that it was the right move for him.

‘He has had an unbelievable career and has won many, many trophies. So, yes, we are very lucky to have him when he plays, when he doesn’t play, and every single day here in the building.

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta says Kepa has a ‘great relationship’ with first-choice goalkeeper David Raya (right)

Sources close to Arsenal believe Kepa is a positive influence on the training ground, training hard and pushing Raya to be at his best

‘David is playing more because he’s been excellent as well.’

No longer burdened by the weight of expectation that he once carried, Kepa is instead a supporting act at Arsenal to arguably Europe’s finest keeper in Raya – and, by most accounts, a content one.

Sources say he is a good presence around the training ground and pushes Raya by training hard despite being the No2. He knew that he was being brought in as Raya’s understudy so, although ambitious, doesn’t kick up a fuss over not starting.

The pair are said to hang out away from the pitch and be good friends, with Kepa accepting of his role at the club. That’s despite an inner belief that he still has more to offer at the highest level, which could see him move on in the future in search of regular minutes.

On the relationship between Raya and Kepa, Arteta said: ‘We have had some fantastic keepers, very good partnerships. This one is exceptional – that’s how I would describe them both individually.

‘They are different, but they complement each other. It is the same with Tommy (Setford), when you look at the three of them interacting. I remember the first day that David and Kepa met.

‘Obviously, they spoke on the phone a lot and I saw those two give each other a massive hug like they hadn’t seen each other in years. I was like: “That’s a good start!”

‘They are different, but they complement each other,’ says Arteta of his No1 and No2 keepers

‘Because that is exactly what you want to generate in that kind of environment, when they spend so much time together by themselves, and one plays much more than the other.’

It remains to be seen where the keeper’s future lies but it’s safe to say that from Arsenal’s perspective, he has certainly been an upgrade on Neto from last season and could be relied upon Raya were to get injured.

For Kepa, this Carabao Cup run is about more than minutes.

It is a chance to quietly rewrite a story that once threatened to define him – and show just why he believes he has unfinished business at the very top of the game.