Three things to look for in the Club World Cup final: Chelsea vs Palmeiras
2. The great goalkeeping quandary
Our good friends over at The Real Champs put it best when reacting to Arrizabalaga’s saves against Al Hilal: “[Chelsea has] always got talented goalkeepers.” This statement would’ve teetered on the side of insanity during Frank Lampard’s first year in charge when the options were a struggling Spaniard and an aging Willy Caballero. Nonetheless, it’s easy to see now that the Blues have been blessed with some incredible shot-stoppers over the years.
That blessing may also be a curse on Saturday though. Tuchel has a decision to make between the sticks. History has told us that he favors the goalkeeper who has gotten a majority of playing time in certain competitions (a la 2021 FA Cup). The Club World Cup is an unprecedented circumstance though with only two games being player in total. Thus, the German manager will have to give the green light to whichever player gives his side the best chance of winning. I can’t believe I’m typing this sentence right now after all of the ups and downs in recent seasons for a certain Spanish someone, but I don’t think there’s much between the two goalkeepers at the moment.
It goes without saying Mendy has been one of the world’s best in the last two seasons, his accolades speak for themselves. He won the AFCON, the Best Goalkeeper award and he was named into the team of the tournament most recently. Mendy also found himself included in the best UCL XI for last season’s excellence. He took home awards for being the Best FIFA Men’s Goalkeeper and UCL Goalkeeper of the Season too, cementing his place amongst world football’s elite custodians. The Senegalese shot-stopper has been crucial to Chelsea’s success at every level over the last 18 months.
On the other side of the aisle, Arrizabalaga is the most expensive goalkeeper transfer of all-time. He’s struggled undeniably at times—mostly during Lampard’s time in charge—but he’s done well to get back on his feet, dust himself off and return to the level he needs to be at right now. Arrizabalaga put in a Man of the Match performance against Al Hilal to cap off what’s been a brilliant stand-in stint during Mendy’s absence. There is also the fact that the 27-year-old is excellent in penalty shootouts, a trait that unfortunately eludes his partner.
The Blues have the best one-two punch in world football when it comes to goalkeeper depth. It’s a luxury throughout the course of an entire campaign, it’s just become a dilemma in this instance. Personally, I believe Arrizabalaga’s Man of the Match outing midweek tips the scales in his favor. This is the perfect opportunity for him to “go out on top” temporarily, seeing as the Carabao Cup final is in two weeks, before passing the baton back to Mendy. One thing is certain, Tuchel’s got his hands full with this decision and nobody envies the fact he has to choose between the two.