Chelsea were given a real fight by Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge but goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga stepped up when needed to make the difference on the night.
In what was largely an evenly balanced game, Timo Werner gave the Blues the lead in the second half. Thomas Tuchel’s side were ahead for just 10 minutes before Cameron Archer drew the Villians level in the 64th minute.
The game eventually went to penalties and the Blues had goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga to thank for making the difference on the night.
The Spaniard made an excellent stop off Marvellous Nkamva’s spot-kick to swing the pendulum in his side’s favour on the night. Kepa is not Chelsea’s first-choice goalkeeper anymore. However, he once again reminded both fans and rivals alike that he remains a formidable player on his day.
The Blues will now take on Southampton in the next round at home. The tie should hand Kepa another opportunity to prove himself. Whether it will be enough for him to usurp Edouard Mendy’s position remains to be seen.
We now take a look at how some fans reacted to the 26-year-old Spaniard’s performance on social media.
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