Alex Runarsson Makes Disaster Arsenal Debut With Carabao Cup Howler

Alex Runarsson had a disaster debut for Arsenal in the Carabao Cup quarter-final against Manchester City as he let a Riyad Mahrez free-kick go right through his hands.

The 25-year-old Iceland international, making his first start for the Gunners, looked to be in the perfect position as he got right behind Mahrez's shot at goal.

But the ball somehow wriggled right through his hands and into the back of the net. It was an absolute nightmare for the keeper who arrived from Dijon in the summer.

Unfortunately, it was also a game-changing goal.

The match was poised at 1-1 after Arsenal had actually fought back from Gabriel Jesus's early header, thanks to Alexandre Lacazette's first-half equaliser.

So all was to play for 10 minutes into the second half when Runarsson showed wrists of pure, molten chocolate in response to Mahrez's free-kick.

Many Arsenal fans took to Twitter to bemoan the sale of keeper Emiliano Martinez, who played in the FA Cup final win against Chelsea in the summer, to Aston Villa.

Although we have to say in Runarsson's defence that making your debut is never easy - especially for a relatively inexperienced goalkeeper facing a team of the quality of Pep Guardiola's Manchester City.

So hopefully fans will go easy on Runarsson and feel sympathy for him on a harrowing night. One which only got worse when Phil Foden finished a brilliant counterattack to put City 3-1 in front, before Aymeric Laporte made it 4-1. Ouch.

Whether Arsenal fans will be quite so forgiving of Mikel Arteta, who chose to pick Runarsson for his debut against City, is quite another matter.

Featured image credit: Sky Sports