After a disasterclass in one of the biggest games of the season, it could be the end of the road for Chelsea keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga.
Kepa Arrizabalaga has had some horrible blunders in a Chelsea shirt throughout the last three seasons. The Blues let in 54 league goals last season and his save percentage was the worst in the English top flight by a large margin. Further, the Spaniard has let in 8 percent of all goals conceded by the club since the Premier began in 1992. Somehow, none of these embarrassing stats are the darkest clouds hanging over his time in west London.
After being given a vote of confidence by Frank Lampard, Arrizabalaga repaid his manager in the worst way possible. The 25-year-old assisted on Sadio Mane’s second goal, making the biggest mistake of his career while attempting to play out of the back. The fault doubled Liverpool’s lead and essentially killed off all hope Lampard’s side had of coming back to secure a result. Arrizabalaga’s error could represent the end of his Chelsea stint when one considers the circumstances and how the staff views the goalkeeping situation.
First and foremost, we already know Arrizabalaga won’t feature in the Blues’ midweek match against Barnsley. Lampard announced he’d turn to Willy Caballero in comments following to the Liverpool loss. Although this decision was likely made pre-game, as the gaffer noted, the Spanish national team’s No. 2 keeper didn’t do anything to overturn that decision in the season’s first home match.
Being the only other keeper on the roster, Caballero was always going to get a run out in this match. However, if he performs at a high level—even against inferior opponents—he could steal Arrizabalaga’s temporary starting spot. Lampard turned to the Argentine on numerous occasions last season and all signs have pointed to his willingness to do it again. Arrizabalaga has gotten chance after chance after chance, and he always seems to fall flat on his face.
Of course, the starting keeper job for the near future depends on the status of Edouard Mendy’s transfer. Fabrizio Romano took to Twitter immediately following Arrizabalaga’s miscalculation to update heartbroken Blues fans on the deal. Mendy is now a Chelsea player with the official announcement expected within the coming days.
Therefore, time is running out for Arrizabalaga. In fact, it may have officially run out depending on how Caballero plays and when Mendy will be ready. A majority of supports and pundits around the world expect Mendy to instantly slot into the starting role when eligible. A potential quarantine—and lack of match fitness—could slow this process by a few weeks, however. Following the midweek bout against Barnsley, the Blues play West Brom on Saturday. Chelsea then waits one week before its next match where Lampard’s side hosts Crystal Palace.
Regardless of what the gaffer says publicly, Arrizabalaga’s time is undoubtedly limited. Mendy is being brought in to compete with the club record signing, but after the costly errors he committed at the weekend, it’s hard to see much of a competition anymore.
Arrizabalaga was brought in with some big gloves to fill because of his record transfer fee and his predecessor’s success. Although he’s a very likable character, he’s become one of the most hated figures around Stamford Bridge over the last 12 months. The 25-year-old’s on-field performances have been incredibly poor and after a decent amount of success, it seems as if Arrizabalaga’s time as Chelsea’s No. 1 is coming to a close.