Kepa Arrizabalaga – The Resurgence of the World’s Most Expensive Goalkeeper.
When Kepa Arrizabalaga came to Chelsea in 2018, it was difficult for Blues fans to know what to expect from him.
Outside of Spain the goalkeeper was relatively unknown, and coming in to replace two-time Premier League-winner Thibaut Courtois, he had some big gloves to fill.
The young Spaniard joined Chelsea from Athletic Bilbao for a record fee for a goalkeeper (£71.6 million.)
He joined alongside new manager Maurizio Sarri, under whom, barring one infamous incident at Wembley in the 2019 Carabao Cup Final, Kepa had an excellent campaign.
He kept 23 clean sheets in 51 games and picked up a Europa League winner’s medal.
Problems under Lampard.
In Kepa’s second season at Chelsea, under new manager Frank Lampard, issues arose for the Spanish goalkeeper.
After making several high-profile errors, he eventually lost his place in the Chelsea starting 11 to 38-year-old Willy Caballero.
The Argentine played the season’s final eight games of the 2019/20 season, including the FA Cup final.
Kepa finished the season with the worst save percentage in Premier League history.
With Lampard still not keen on persisting with Kepa as Chelsea’s number one, the club bought a replacement in Edouard Mendy from French side Stade Rennais.
The 28-year-old established himself as the superior goalkeeper and remained Chelsea’s first choice indefinitely under the English manager.
During this period, the lowest ebb of Kepa’s Chelsea career came.
The Spaniard got a chance in a game against Southampton because of an injury to Edouard Mendy, but that chance would only be the stage for a calamity of errors.
Looking panicked and uncomfortable in goal, Kepa wouldn’t regain his starting spot while Lampard was in charge.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yREyZ4-b2Dc
Kepa under Tuchel.
As the managerial merry-go-round continued at Chelsea, Kepa’s opportunities remained just as limited.
Under Thomas Tuchel, Mendy was firmly Chelsea’s number one and established himself as one of the world’s most in-form goalkeepers, helping the club win their second Champions League trophy.
Kepa had a couple of good moments while the German was in charge, becoming the hero when he came off the bench for the penalty shoot-out in the 2021 UEFA Super Cup Final. The Spaniard saved two penalties, helping Chelsea win the trophy.
Kepa languished on the bench for most of Tuchel’s reign as Chelsea manager, and it wouldn’t be until Graham Potter replaced him at the helm in September that the Spaniard would get another chance as Chelsea’s number one.
A fresh start under Potter
With Mendy picking up an injury and not looking the most assured while in goal for Chelsea himself, Kepa had an opportunity. Last weekend against Aston Villa, the Spaniard took that opportunity by the scruff of the neck.
In a 2-0 win against the Villans, Kepa won the Man of the Match award, making seven crucial saves during the game, the most by a Chelsea goalkeeper since Courtois in 2017.
The performance was a vast improvement on anything Chelsea fans had seen from him in years, and he was starting to show why the club had spent a world record fee on him all those years ago.
https://www.football.london/chelsea-fc/news/kepa-arrizabalaga-chelsea-aston-villa-25280577
Kepa’s stock continues to rise. At the time of writing, the Spaniard has kept five clean sheets in a row for Chelsea, his best return ever.
Mendy has since returned from injury but hasn’t started a game for Chelsea under Graham Potter. After another Kepa Man of the Match performance at Brentford on Wednesday evening, that may continue for a while.
Following all the lows and all the frustrations Kepa has had at Chelsea, are we finally seeing the best from the world’s most expensive goalkeeper?
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