Kepa Arrizabalaga’s recent performances have made up for his Carabao Cup final antics, believes teammate Ruben Loftus-Cheek.
Kepa was involved in one of the strangest moments of the season, with the goalkeeper refusing to come off as a substitute with Willy Caballero ready to enter the fray.
The Spaniard was subsequently criticised for disrespecting Maurizio Sarri in front of a packed Wembley stadium and millions watching around the world – and deservedly so.
However, the damage done to Kepa’s reputation at Chelsea has not proven to be irreparable. He’s been one of our best players over the past few months.
Teammate Loftus-Cheek appears to agree. He believes that Kepa has grabbed his shot at redemption with both hands, as the Daily Mail report:
“Yes absolutely [the cup final is forgotten], I ran straight towards him at the end of the shootout.”
“We obviously went down and he’s pulled off two fantastic saves, one between his legs that he’s just squeezed out. It’s fantastic for him.”
“I was so nervous on the sideline. But it just felt amazing when Eden [Hazard] put that last penalty away, knowing we’re going to Baku for the final.”
Kepa has proven to be a brilliant signing. He’s the most expensive goalkeeper of all-time, yet never have we heard anyone question our decision to fork out such a hefty figure.
He’s going to be a cornerstone in our starting eleven for years to come – and perhaps most importantly – he’s nowhere near as detestable as Thibaut Courtois.
