Chelsea star Kepa Arrizabalaga keen to start Carabao Cup final vs Liverpool
According to The Sun, Chelsea goalkeeper, Kepa Arrizabalaga wants Thomas Tuchel to start him over Edouard Mendy in the Carabao Cup final against Liverpool on Sunday. The highly-anticipated clash will take place at the Wembley Stadium, where both will look to add to their impressive trophy collections.
The cup competitions are usually reserved for the second choice keepers, with Mendy taking the starting spot during Premier League and Champions League games. However, Tuchel chose him over Kepa for the Club World Cup final, which disappointed the latter following his solid performances in the competition.
As such, the second choice star is hopeful that the Blues boss will select him to face off against Jurgen Klopp’s side on Sunday. That being said, the Spaniard is still wary about the situation, having struggled to convince Tuchel to land a starting berth ahead of the African Cup of Nations winner.
Tuchel in dilemma?
We cannot really blame the German coach for starting the 29-year-old over Kepa in the final against Palmeiras as we won the game 2-1 in the end. The boss may have felt the need to play his best shot-stopper to aid us in our aim of securing the Club World Cup title. Mendy is certainly the better choice at this moment, but the 27-year-old could have done a similar job based on recent form.
The former Athletic Bilbao man did well in the semi-finals as his crucial saves helped us to reach the final in the first place. One would feel for Kepa as he has proven his worth under the ex-PSG boss even if he had a hard time under Frank Lampard.
The Chelsea manager is open to selecting the Senegalese instead of Arrizabalga on Sunday, which could be the final nail in the straw. The Spanish international is continuously assessing his future options, and this could possibly add to his frustrations following the Club World Cup snub.
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It is also claimed that the 27-year-old Spaniard will push to leave Stamford Bridge in the future if he does not receive more opportunities moving forward. A decision could be made at the end of this term, so the 48-year-old boss must consider everything before making his choice for Sunday’s lineup.
Tuchel still sees Mendy as his first-choice keeper, which could give us an idea about what is to come in the next match. But we are hopeful that Kepa will get his chance as he has already showcased his abilities more than enough times to play in such an important game. Let’s wait and see what the decision will be in the build-up to the cup final.