"He was very concentrated and calm" - Thomas Tuchel hails Chelsea star for performance against Southampton
Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel has lauded Kepa Arrizabalaga for his impact on the club's performances in recent months. The Spanish goalkeeper was the hero once again in Chelsea's nail-biting Carabo Cup victory over Southampton on penalties on Tuesday night.
The two sides played out a 1-1 draw during regulation time, which forced the game to be decided by a penalty shootout. Kepa Arrizabalaga saved Southampton winger Theo Walcott's penalty.
Reece James then converted his spot-kick to hand Chelsea a 4-3 victory in the penalty shootout.
Kepa Arrizabalaga was the match-winner for Chelsea once again in the Carabao Cup.
The former Athletic Bilbao star produced similar heroics in penalty shootouts for Tuchel's side in their third-round Carabao Cup victory over Aston Villa and their Super Cup win over Villarreal.
Thomas Tuchel praised Kepa for his role in Chelsea's success despite losing his place in the Blues starting line-up in the Premier League to Edouard Mendy.
"He's produced and is so full of confidence," said Tuchel in a post-match press conference.
"He's had good experiences with us but we have to do it again and again. Just because you won a penalty shoot-out does not mean you do it again. Full credit and it is a special thing in football and he was again very concentrated and calm. Kepa was a big part of this."
Kepa has been linked with a move away from Chelsea in recent months after falling behind Edouard Mendy in the pecking order at Stamford Bridge.
Thomas Tuchel will, however, be eager to keep hold of the 27-year-old to provide competition and adequate cover for Edouard Mendy.
Kepa Arrizabalaga pulls off shootout heroics again but Hakim Ziyech fails to shine on rare start | @siphillipssport
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Chelsea star Kepa Arrizabalga has caught the eye of a number of Europe's top clubs with his performances
Kepa Arrizabalaga has failed to live up to his £70 million price tag since joining Chelsea from Athletic Bilbao in the summer of 2018. During his first three years with the club, the goalkeeper was prone to occasional errors.
His performances resulted in Chelsea opting to sign Edouard Mendy from Rennes last summer. The Senegal international has developed into one of the best goalkeepers in the world during his time with the Blues.
This has resulted in Kepa being limited to appearances in the Cup competitions and Champions League.
Kepa singlehandedly won us 2 European trophies. Kepa is bigger than Arsenal and it's crazy😭 https://t.co/VSbrFBvGfu
The 27-year-old has, however, put in a number of impressive performances for Chelsea in recent months which has caught the attention of a number of Europe's top clubs.
Juventus are reportedly keen to sign Kepa as a replacement for out-of-form shot-stopper Wojciech Szczesny.