Mauricio Pochettino confirms that Kepa Arrizabalaga is ahead of Robert Sanchez in the Chelsea goalkeeping pecking order
Speaking to the media ahead of the season opener against Liverpool, Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino has confirmed that Kepa Arrizabalaga is currently ahead of Robert Sanchez in the goalkeeping pecking order.
This has not come as a surprise because Kepa has been with the squad since the start of the pre-season while Sanchez arrived from Brighton only a few days ago.
It also tells us that the former isn’t leaving the club anytime soon. He was a subject of interest for Bayern Munich who were ready to offer a loan move with an option to buy. Real Madrid joined that bandwagon once Thibaut Courtois’ injury was confirmed.
Here’s what Pochettino said when asked about the goalkeeper situation (h/t Football London):
It’s going to be very good competition. We needed to sign another. The club followed him [Sanchez] for a long period and was a good opportunity for the club to sign him, and a good challenge for Kepa also. Kepa is three, four weeks working with us, is a little bit ahead of him.
Like in all different players, it is a challenge for them to keep their place if they play on Sunday. For the players not going to play they need to fight to catch their teammates playing in their place. That is competition and for sure will improve.
So, barring any late twist, we can expect Kepa to don the gloves for the opening game of the season against Liverpool. The pressure will be on the 28-year-old to deliver otherwise Sanchez is waiting in the wings to take his position in the team.
We have seen Kepa lose his place in the past when Edouard Mendy was signed to 2020 to replace him after a series of bad performances. The former wasn’t that good last season as well, to be honest.
Hence, if the first two to three games do not go well for him, we may see a switch from Pochettino after the international break. The Sanchez signing could turn out to be a clever and well-thought-out move for all the reasons mentioned above.
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Kepa needs to prove he can be a number one for a Chelsea that seeks to win and challenge for the biggest trophies possible. He hasn’t done that in the five-year tenure so far.