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FA Cup: Willy Caballero deserves to take Chelsea all the way to Wembley

By George Perry

LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 17: Willy Caballero of Chelsea celebrates victory with Willian of Chelsea during The Emirates FA Cup Third Round Replay between Chelsea and Norwich City at Stamford Bridge on January 17, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 17: Willy Caballero of Chelsea celebrates victory with Willian of Chelsea during The Emirates FA Cup Third Round Replay between Chelsea and Norwich City at Stamford Bridge on January 17, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images) /
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At this point in last season’s FA Cup, Antonio Conte shunted Asmir Begovic aside and started Thibaut Courtois in the quarter-finals match. Willy Caballero deserves to start against Leicester, and every other FA Cup game Chelsea might have this season.

Willy Caballero may not write himself into Chelsea’s history books, but he certainly is earning his place among the game’s greatest free transfers. The then-35-year old goalkeeper was no one’s idea of a splash signing to open the transfer window. The subsequent slow chug of transfer business through July made an early joke of Chelsea’s window, and an early warning sign of Antonio Conte’s frustration.

But all those thoughts went out in a flash when Caballero saved the first penalty to decide the FA Cup third-round replay against Norwich. The world’s most clutch penalty-saver did what even Petr Cech usually failed to do. Two rounds later he repeated the feat against Hull. And in between he blanked Brighton in the Premier League and Newcastle in the FA Cup.

When not saving penalty kicks, Caballero is as likely to be among the back-line as he is between the sticks. Caballero is a mix between Manuel Neuer and David Luiz. He does not let the box define how – let alone where – he plays. He comes out when he wants to, the Chelsea world holds their breath and he prevails as he entertains.

Perhaps because of the opportunities Chelsea have given him this season, Argentina called him up for this month’s international break. It will be his first time with the team since 2014.

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Chelsea owe it to Caballero to play him on Sunday in the quarterfinals against Leicester. If the Blues defeat the Foxes, they owe it to him to play in the semi-finals and then in the finals. Caballero has done everything a senior back-up goalkeeper should do. He has no illusions about his place in the squad. He plays the domestic cup matches, and covers the Premier League in case of injury. In between he has no complaints, no media gaffes, no self-serving attention grabs.

Huh. On second though, he’s doing many of the things the starting goalkeeper should be doing. Or not doing, as the case may be.

More than that, when he is pressed into service he does everything well. He has four clean sheets in nine appearances. Of the five games where he conceded, in four he allowed one goal and the fifth – his only loss – he allowed two to Arsenal. Never mind the quality of the opponents. In most of those games Chelsea went in with a reduced-power squad in front of Caballero.

Caballero offers a new dimension to Chelsea’s play, one that tests his teammates his well as the opposition. In nearly every aspect of the game, he is the anti-Courtois. After recent events, that may be the highest compliment we can pay him.

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Willy Caballero is best known around England for the 2016 League Cup final, when he saved three penalty kicks against Liverpool. Caballero took Manuel Pellegrini’s men to Wembley, and brought back silverware. Antonio Conte should give him the same respect and opportunity for Chelsea’s FA Cup run.

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