"100%" "Might help build confidence" - Chelsea fans want Thomas Tuchel to start 27-year-old star in FA Cup tie against Chesterfield
Some Chelsea fans want Thomas Tuchel to start their 27-year-old goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga when they play Conference site Chesterfield in the FA Cup. Speaking on Twitter, supporters expressed their desire to see Kepa Arrizabalaga keep his place in goal for the home game against the minnows.
Kepa impressed in a rare start versus London rivals Tottenham in the Carabao Cup semi-final on Wednesday. His performance now has fans relishing a second consecutive start.
However, Chelsea have a congested fixture list in January and it would not be surprising to see Tuchel make wholesale changes on Saturday evening.
Edouard Mendy's consistency has meant that Kepa has been resigned to cameo appearances this season, making just one EPL appearance and seven appearances in all competitions.
But the Senegalese has left Chelsea to feature for his country in the Afcon finals in Cameroon. Naturally, being Mendy's understudy, Kepa was named in goal in the London derby.
Here are some reactions from Chelsea fans:
Chesterfield? (Could be great for confidence and sharpness)Should Kepa Arrizabalaga start again tomorrow 馃啔 Chesterfield? (Could be great for confidence and sharpness)
@chelsea_debate Tuchel please start him! He鈥檚 massive in the next few weeks. Definitely needs the minutes
@chelsea_debate Think Tuchel will go for Kepa to give him more game time
@chelsea_debate 100% Kepa
@chelsea_debate 100% the guy hardly played might help him build confidence
@chelsea_debate I鈥檇 like to see bettenili make his debut but i wouldn鈥檛 mind
@chelsea_debate Without doubt
@CFC_M20 @ChelseaFC Seems solid, but surely Kepa should play? Desperately needs an uninterrupted run of games and this is yet another great opportunity for him to pick up a clean sheet.
It that time of the season. All out for Kepa. Let's go!!! 馃悙馃悙 https://t.co/tCTqxaxB6l
Stepping up to no.1 - @kepa_46! 馃
[via @ChelseaFC]
https://t.co/nS4kTyLBRY
Love that @kepa_46 gave his gloves to the young fan that ran on the pitch. https://t.co/EMaZ34Olyj
Kepa Arrizabalaga has had a mixed time at Chelsea
The Spaniard will be hoping to avoid any costly blunders that saw him dropped as Chelsea's number one despite a hefty price tag. In 2018 the Blues triggered Kepa's 拢71.6m release clause to sign him from Athletic Bilbao, making the Spaniard the most expensive keeper in the world.
Kepa had the worst save percentage out of all the Premier League's regular goalkeepers in the 2019/2020 season. Although he has since put the nightmare season behind him, Tuchel must have been dreading January knowing that Mendy was not going to be available for selection.
Chelsea have two more fixtures against Tottenham and an away game against Manchester City in the next two weeks. They will be hoping Kepa brings his A-game to these clashes.
Knowing the task ahead, Tuchel has regularly talked up Kepa to come good in a bid to give confidence to the keeper.
After The Blues overcame Brentford in the Carabao Cup quarter-final in December Tuchel said:
"I am super impressed with Kepa. It is not a surprise anymore because he is in the state of mind as a person, a character and a sportsman where he just delivers for us, because he does what he does best.
"This is what he shows every day in training and this is why he gets the reward. I am absolutely sure that this is the reason why he has these kinds of performances.
"I am super happy, we need him in this kind of shape. The goalkeepers are a strong group and Kepa is a big part of it."
Should Kepa's experiment fail, Thomas Tuchel has Marcus Bettinelli to call upon in other fixtures.