The question of Kepa Arrizabalaga maintaining his place as Chelsea's first choice was easy to answer 12 months ago, he was firmly behind Edouard Mendy and although his reputation had been slightly enhanced by some penalty heroics, his future looked destined to remain as an understudy.
Now in 2022, the question remains simple to answer but for different reasons. The Spaniard is the only Chelsea player to start all of Graham Potter's nine games in charge so far. If he begins the 10th against Brighton on Saturday, there will be few grumbles.
He has made some outstanding stops, keeping five clean sheets too and gaining wide praise for improved performances. But how long can he maintain the first spot? Is there a route back for Mendy under Potter?
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Due to Chelsea's qualification to the last 16 of the Champions League secured against RB Salzburg, the final group game against Dinamo Zagreb could offer Mendy the chance for a start, as could the Carabao Cup tie with Manchester City before the World Cup.
We asked our team of Chelsea reporters to give their thoughts on the current goalkeeping situation between Kepa and Mendy ahead of the Brighton game.
Scott Trotter
For the moment, there is no question that Kepa is Chelsea's number one. The Spaniard has produced a supreme level of shot-stopping since Graham Potter's arrival that has simply not allowed Edouard Mendy a look-in following his up-and-down start to the season and injury issue.
Kepa has not been perfect however and still has room to grow in his distribution and the command of his area. Mendy should receive opportunities against Zagreb and Man City perhaps and is of course given the opportunity to challenge every day in training. In many ways, he finds himself in the position Kepa was in when the Senegal international arrived at Stamford Bridge. Opportunities will come and hopefully both will be pushed to be better as a result.
Bobby Vincent
It’s a really interesting debate between Kepa and Mendy. If you had asked me at the start of the season, I wouldn’t have thought twice about choosing Mendy. Overall, Mendy has been fantastic since joining Chelsea, but he had a really tricky start to the campaign.
Something had to change, really, and his knee injury forced Thomas Tuchel’s hand somewhat. Kepa has really taken the chance with both hands – pardon the pun – and at the moment, he looks to be one of the first names on Potter’s team sheet.
I would definitely like to see Kepa command his area more – that’s definitely an area he needs to improve in order to be the long-term number one at Stamford Bridge. However, at the moment, the way Potter likes to play with the passing out from the back, Kepa looks like the more-suited option. Potter HAS to persist with Kepa.
Daniel Childs
It is an outstanding turnaround considering how low things were for Kepa in 2020 and now it looks like he can have a substantial career at Stamford Bridge when an exit looked an inevitability at the end of last season.
There are still some technical concerns that probably will be impossible to fully eradicate because of his height. He still looks shaky coming for set pieces, even if he is no longer rooted to his own line.
But you can clearly see how his confidence has grown and how he's looking to take control of situations. There is also his ability on the ball, which is a key trait for Graham Potter.
Mendy should still be regarded as one of the club's best-value signings over the past decade. For £22m, the club bought an upgrade at the time and got a goalkeeper who aided the remarkable Champions League winning run. That strong run cannot be forgotten and I still think he is probably the better keeper.
But like Kepa did, Mendy will have to bide his time and prove his worth when he gets a chance under Potter. The wider question will be how Mendy might look at his situation come the summer if he still remains second-choice.
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