“I had really tough moments”- 28-year-old Chelsea star says he is reaping the rewards of his strong mentality

Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga believes he is reaping the rewards of his strong mentality

Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga is having a resurrection to his career and believes that he is reaping awards for his strong mentality.

The Spaniard was unbelievable against Aston Villa last time out. His solid performance between the sticks allowed his side to win the game 2-0, with the 28-year-old producing some point-blank saves to keep his clean sheet.

Speaking after the game, as quoted in the Mirror, the Spaniard admitted that he had tough times at the club; but was now enjoying the rewards of his strong mentality.

“Self-confidence and belief in your work, in what you’re doing, and belief in the process is very important. Of course I had really tough moments. I had really good moments, but in the end it’s like life. You have ups and downs and you have to be strong mentally, sticking with your ideas and keep working. Now I am enjoying all the work.”

Kepa joined the Blues in 2018 from Spanish side Athletic Bilbao for a world-record fee for a goalkeeper for £72 million. While he was a regular for a couple of seasons, silly mistakes from the Spaniard forced the club to get in another keeper.

Edouard Mendy arrived in 2020 and soon replaced Kepa as the first-choice keeper. Having served as backup to the Frenchman for almost two years, the Spaniard has now reignited his career again.

Injury to Mendy last month meant the 28-year-old was back between the sticks for the west London club. Since then, he has kept four clean sheets in a row and looks to have cemented his place back as number one under new manager Graham Potter.

His performance against Villa last weekend is likely to help in the long run. The Spaniard pulled off some breathtaking saves and was a delight to the eyes of the away fans. Should he continue in this form, the 28-year-old could be named to the Spanish national team for the World Cup next month.

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The former Bilbao man is likely to continue in goal against Brentford this Wednesday. Fans will hope he can keep a sixth successive clean sheet in all competitions, while Potter will hope for a fourth successive league win.