“Truly wondrous” - Gary Linekar wowed by what ‘sensational’ Chelsea star did against Aston Villa
Former Tottenham Hotspur and Barcelona star Gary Linekar has hailed Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga for his performance in the first half of their Premier League clash with Aston Villa.
The Blues are leading 1-0 at Villa Park at the break, courtesy of an early goal from Mason Mount. However, the man between the sticks truly stood out for the visitors as Kepa even pulled off a fantastic triple save to keep the Villans at bay.
In the 21st minute of the clash, Villa came agonizingly close to scoring but the Spaniard pulled off three close-range saves to deny John McGinn, Philippe Coutinho, and Jacob Ramsey in succession.
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An outstanding 𝗧𝗥𝗜𝗣𝗟𝗘 save from Kepa! 👏🧤 https://t.co/e4BR7qENT5
It was a moment of true individual brilliance from Kepa, who is otherwise mainly known for his mistakes in goal.
The former Athletic Bilbao man has improved massively this season, however, and has been making the most of the opportunities that have come his way since Edouard Mendy's injury.
Even though the Senegalese international has returned to the fold, Kepa continues to keep his place between the sticks, which is a sign that he's won Graham Potter's trust.
In a further display of his goalkeeping masterclass, the 28-year-old then pulled off another fine save after acrobatically clawing away Danny Ings' close-range header around the half-hour mark.
Among those waxing lyrical about the custodian right now is Linekar, now a top pundit, who labeled his performance as 'sensational' while making a special mention of his triple-save.
He wrote on Twitter:
"Kepa has been sensational in goal for @ChelseaFC. The triple save was truly wondrous."
In two Premier League appearances so far this season, Kepa has kept one clean sheet and is currently on his way to a third.
Chelsea weather the Villa storm in the opening half
Although the Blues enjoyed more possession, it was Aston Villa who looked more dangerous, mustering six shots on target - exactly thrice that of their visitors.
Had it not been for Kepa and his goalkeeping heroics, Graham Potter's side might as well have trailed and left to mount a comeback in the second half.
One up at the break! 😁
@WhaleFinApp | #AvlChe https://t.co/Z8tFNlOurR
That said, Chelsea were clinical when a clear opportunity showed up as Tyrone Mings' disastrous header attempt gifted Mount an opening and he coolly slotted the ball into the bottom right corner.
As things stand, the Pensioners are heading towards a fourth consecutive top-flight victory, a sign of how much things have improved under their new manager.