Kepa Arrizabalaga will know his Chelsea fate by the Bayern kickoff

Willy Caballero has started over Kepa Arrizabalaga for several games now. If it happens again for Bayern Munich, his Chelsea future is all but laid out.

The Sword of Damocles basically means the imminent threat over someone in a position of power. Kepa Arrizabalaga had been looking up at his as it got closer and closer all season before finally coming down.

Willy Caballero has started the last four matches with three in a row being Premier League matches. Even Arrizabalaga’s punishment last year was not that long (just one match). In fact, the last season Caballero started three Premier League games in one season was Antonio Conte’s last. The last time he started three in a row? His last year at Manchester City as Pep Guardiola flipped flopped between keepers.

Frank Lampard claims that it is all about competition but it is still a huge statement to drop the club record signing for a player that is surely gone next season if not retiring outright. Arrizabalaga is on thin ice and if he does not get the call to start against Bayern Munich, he may as well start packing his bags because his Chelsea career is done.

It is not even as if Caballero is doing well, at least not to the eye. Sure, he is far more commanding in the box, but he is still Caballero. He lives on the wild side. That lends itself to moments of the spectacular as well as the foolish. Yet, he still is starting over Arrizabalaga despite those eccentrics.

The actual stats are painting a better picture for Caballero though. It is not much, but Caballero’s xG against is 0.29 to Arrizabalaga’s 0.37. The Argentine is completing about two percent more passes while sending a lot more forward. All of this is not even counting the Tottenham match as the stats are not up at the time of writing.

Not good reading for Arrizabalaga who was supposed to be Chelsea’s answer between the sticks for the next decade or so. Instead, he is being outdone by a player who has been around the block and probably does not have many laps left before his career ends. Hence why it remains such a statement by Lampard.

Starting Arrizabalaga against Bayern Munich would show a great deal of faith in the young keeper to at least show some fight. But not starting? Well then that pretty much says everything it needs to say about the Spanish keeper’s future.

Furthermore, on some level, Chelsea will need a new keeper next season regardless. Caballero, the current man of the hour, would shock most if he opted to extend another season. Chelsea has some young keepers they could promote into a backup role, but that would put a great deal of trust into Arrizabalaga to get the job done the majority of days. As recent weeks have shown, that trust simply is not there.

Lampard will be able to signal his attentions loud and clear for the board, team, and world with his choice of keeper against Bayern Munich. Will he trust in the record signing to come good or will he weather the storm that is Caballero as he looks for the next option?