Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga sends a message after defeating Al-Hilal in the semi-finals of the FIFA Club World Cup
Speaking on Twitter, (h/t Football.London), Kepa Arrizabalaga sent out a message after Chelsea held on to a slender 1-0 lead to defeat Saudi side Al-Hilal in the semifinal of the FIFA Club World Cup.
The 27-year-old Spanish keeper, filling in for Edouard Mendy, put in a great performance that saw the Blues progress to the showpiece event. He has been in fine form of late, proving why Chelsea splashed the cash for his services in 2018.
A goal in the 32nd minute on the day by Romelu Lukaku saw the London-based club make it through to the finals of the FIFA Club World Cup where they will face Brazilian club Palmeiras. The Stamford Bridge outfit have never won the Club World Cup and came close in 2012 only to be defeated in the final by another Brazilian club, Corinthians.
Kepa’s resurgence at the back for Chelsea
The Spaniard made his way to Stamford Bridge in a £72million move from Athletic Bilbao that made him the most expensive keeper of all time in 2018. The 27-year-old has struggled to justify that price tag at times with inconsistencies creeping up in his performances on the pitch from time to time.
The fans would have been sceptical about Kepa replacing Mendy when the latter left for national duty, but the Spaniard has been a sturdy presence at the back recently. His penalty save late in extra time against Plymouth Argyle is a testament to how well he is performing at the moment. The Spanish international is thus starting to make a strong claim to regain the starting position at Chelsea.
Mendy has also proven to be a rock-solid shot-stopper ever since arriving at the West London club. The recent performances of the goalkeeping duo could give Thomas Tuchel a headache when it comes to team selection, but it would be one that any manager would gladly welcome.
This situation could be deemed even more suitable considering the fact that the Blues have a packed schedule ahead of them and are competing in several tournaments. With both shot-stoppers displaying excellent form for club and country, the 48-year-old Chelsea manager will be able to rotate his squad accordingly so as not to put too much pressure on any one player.
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Chelsea have won a plethora of titles in their rich and illustrious history but haven’t managed to get their hands on the coveted Club World Cup to date. While the Blues managed to defeat Hilal it was far from convincing and the fans would be hoping to see a much more dominating performance against the Alviverde.
