Edouard Mendy lauds Kepa Arrizabalaga for Chelsea spell during AFCON
Edouard Mendy lavished praise on Kepa Arrizabalaga for his excellent spell for Chelsea when the former was out on international duty at AFCON. The latter took over the goalkeeping duties between the sticks and was influential in Chelsea’s journey to the FIFA Club World Cup final.
Thomas Tuchel depended on the Spaniard when the 29-year-old left the Blues to win the African Cup of Nations with Senegal. Kepa started three league games in a row, against Manchester City, Brighton, and Spurs and while we only managed four points from that run, he was pretty dependable at the back.
Speaking in the pre-match press conference (h/t BBC), Mendy conveyed that he was happy for Arrizabalaga but that he wasn’t surprised, considering he has already seen the ex-Athletic Bilbao’s man abilities in training.
“He did really well when I was at Afcon. But it didn’t surprise me because I see him every day. I was super happy for him because he deserves it.”
The Senegalese also chipped in with some thoughts on his relationship with Kepa and the competition for the number one spot at Stamford Bridge. He expressed that both of them maintain a healthy connection with each other, which is important for any dressing room.
“When you play for Chelsea, you have competition in every position, so you have to give your best and play at your highest level to be in the team at the weekend. My relationship with Kepa has been good since I came here. We have a good relationship on and off the pitch.”
Spot on from Mendy
The AFCON winner is spot on with his verdict on Kepa. He was so good during Mendy’s absence that had Kepa started the CWC final even in Mendy’s presence, not many Chelsea fans would have batted an eye.
After all, the 27-year-old played a major role in keeping Al Hilal at bay in the semi-finals of the Club World Cup. He made several crucial saves on the day and helped us win our first-ever FIFA CWC title.
The Spain international had an underwhelming time under Frank Lampard, to say the very least. The Englishman brought in Mendy from Stade Rennais to replace him as the club’s number 1 goalkeeper, and the pecking order has been undisturbed ever since.
But despite being on the wrong end of some high-profile errors during his Chelsea career, Kepa has recently done really well to make a case to be a regular starter for us. It’s just that Mendy has been on another level and not many goalkeepers in the world could displace him from our XI.
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The Spanish keeper could still get important matches under his belt this season since we are still in the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup. Since the final of the League Cup is set to take place on Sunday against Liverpool, we could see him get the nod as cup competitions are usually reserved for the second choice keeper.
But if Mendy was preferred in a cup competition like the CWC, perhaps the EFL Cup final may see a similar outcome. We play Lille tonight in the UEFA Champions League round of 16, and only time will tell if Kepa gets the start or if Mendy continues to man the posts for the Blues.