Chelsea veteran star backs under-fire teammate to come good once again

Cesar Azpilicueta backs Kepa Arrizabalaga to come good for Chelsea

According to Football.London, Chelsea skipper Cesar Azpilicueta has backed under-fire goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga to prove himself following what has been a difficult time at the club.

The Spanish international has endured a difficult few months at Chelsea. A spate of poor performances saw him dropped initially in favour of Willy Caballero and then Edouard Mendy.

The latter’s injury saw him return to the starting XI against Southampton last weekend. However, a horrendous mix-up with Kurt Zouma did him few favours.

It remains to be seen if Frank Lampard will persist with Kepa for the Champions League clash against Sevilla. The world’s most expensive keeper, Azpilicueta has backed the 26-year-old to showcase what he can do.

“Sometimes you feel like everything goes against you. You have to have the character and personality to face it. I have no doubt Kepa will work hard to reverse the situation.”

As the club captain, Azpilicueta is familiar with kepa and is keen to do his bit to ensure he gets back to his best.

“In football we have difficult times. In my position as captain, obviously I know him from a long time ago. I always try to help him.”

Kepa lost his position as the club’s preferred option in goal towards the end of last season. The current season saw him return to the starting line-up. A questionable outing against Brighton was followed by a disaster class against Liverpool.

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He was subsequently dropped in favour of Caballero the subsequent matchday. Kepa recently opened up on his intention to win back the starting spot. However, it would appear that the road back is a long one for the Spaniard.