Kepa Arrizabalaga has urged Chelsea to believe in a comeback win over Real Madrid on Tuesday and simply says ‘remontadas‘ or comebacks can happen.
The Blues lost 2-0 at Santiago Bernabeu last week and are big underdogs ahead of a second leg against Carlo Ancelotti’s 14-time winners.
Chelsea are 11th in the Premier League and have little to play for in their last seven league matches so only a victory by at least two clear goals tomorrow can save the season.
Speaking ahead of the Champions League quarter-final second leg, the Chelsea no1 urged belief from his side.
He said: “It is not a good season for us. What we have to do is believe until the end. In this stadium, things like Remontadas can happen. It happened before.
“We have to believe it can happen and have to deliver. We have to do our best and do the right things, we need a big performance – not of our lives maybe, but a big performance.
“Hopefully tomorrow we can involve all the fans and deliver our best to deliver an atmosphere that we need to go through. It won’t be easy.
We need to do the right things from the beginning and push as much as we can. We need to score goals and be more clinical in both areas. That’s going to be key.”
Chelsea go into the match having been dominated in the 2-1 defeat at home to Brighton at the weekend.
Co-owner Todd Boehly spent an hour in the dressing room area after the match and addressed the squad, reportedly calling his side’s struggles ‘embarrassing’.
Kepa was asked about the incident but wouldn’t confirm the details of what was said, adding: “Todd comes to the changing room in every game.
“He had different chats with us after different games. I am not going to say what he said. It is normal when he came into the changing room.”
The 28-year-old has reclaimed the no1 spot from Edouard Mendy who took his place after a spell of bad form in Frank Lampard’s previous spell in charge.
Many thought Kepa may have been dropped after he was appointed caretaker manager last month but he has kept his spot.
Kepa added that he has no problem with Lampard and that he feels at home in west London: “It was three years ago, it was a different situation and different everything.
“Now I am playing, Frank is the manager and he is taking his decision in every game and when he picks me in the starting XI, I am doing my best.
“It’s been my home for five years now. I am very happy to be here. I am feeling like I am at home. I am enjoying this journey that we have had in the last few years.
“In the last two seasons, I played 15 games but now I am playing and I am playing well. I feel confident and enjoy it out on the pitch. I think that’s the most important thing.
“Obviously, the season, in general, is not the best but I am personally happy with my season.”
