Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga has turned his career around at Stamford Bridge since Graham Potter replaced Thomas Tuchel as manager.
The Spanish shot-stopper signed for the Blues after completing a £71million move from Athletic Bilbao, a deal which remains as the world record fee paid for a goalkeeper. The Spaniard has struggled throughout his time in west London but now looks to have turned his fortunes around as he continues to impress under Potter.
After helping Chelsea win the Europa League in his debut season, Kepa struggled to maintain his form and soon lost his position as No.1 'keeper under Frank Lampard, being replaced by veteran goalkeeper Willy Caballero. Edouard Mendy was brought in to replace Kepa as the starting goalkeeper in 2020, but the Senegalese shot-stopper has failed to regain his place in the starting lineup after struggling with a knee injury in recent weeks.
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Arsenal legend Ian Wright feels Kepa has done well to bounce back at Chelsea after enduring some difficult moments. The Spaniard has taken plenty of stick in the past, but came under heavy criticism in particular for his tactic when it came to Virgil van Dijk’s penalty in the Carabao Cup final last season.
The Chelsea goalkeeper positioned himself closer to one post than the other, and still failed to reach the penalty that was directed into the top corner on that side of the net. "What happened with him at that Wembley final with van Dijk could have finished him,” he said on Wrighty’s House.
“That finishes people. It probably finishes you as a goalkeeper. He fell so low that people had actually forgotten about him. Mendy got injured and has lost form, Kepa’s come in and everyone has remembered him again.”
Wright has hailed Kepa for his performances this season, believing he has turned a corner. “When you watched him the other week against Aston Villa, he made some great saves,” the Arsenal icon added.
“You then realise the man’s changed. He’s gone from a caterpillar to a butterfly with the saves he’s making."
Wright made comparisons between Kepa and former Liverpool goalkeeper Loris Karius, with the German struggling after a poor performance in the UEFA Champions League final against Real Madrid back in 2018. "We all saw what happened with Karius in the Champions League final. I’m not saying Kepa fell to those depths but you’re still in a place where you can’t see the light,” Wright said.
“I’ve seen players down and not come back. I think that journey is underestimated. What he’s done is fantastic.”
Wright's assessment of Kepa falls in line with what Chelsea icon Joe Cole recently said about the Spaniard ahead of the Blues' 2-1 win against RB Salzburg. Speaking on BT Sport's coverage of the game, Cole said: "We said the manager deserves credit, he deserves credit, he’s showed resilience.
"You have to remember this is Chelsea’s record signing, the next Cech, the next Courtois and it didn’t work for him. He’s come out of the team, he was actively open to leaving the club but he’s knuckled down and he’s the perfect example for young goalkeepers and players that you can rebuild yourself.
"When your goalkeeper is making saves like that it gives you belief, you don’t want your goalkeeper to be making mistakes but you know when it goes wrong he’s going to be wrong. That’s what they’re there for and he’s been fantastic."
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