Saturday’s message when Frank Lampard put out the team sheet for Chelsea to face Leicester City was loud and clear. Kepa Arrizabalaga rode the bench with veteran Willy Caballero stepping in for the 2-2 draw at the King Power Stadium.
Playing Caballero in cup matches, as has been the case this year, is one thing, but putting him in on the road against third-place Leicester means manager Frank Lampard is serious. Either Kepa Arrizabalaga must improve dramatically or the board has to bring in a new keeper this summer.
Could Kepa Arrizabalaga Have Played Last Chelsea Game?
Arrizabalaga’s Historically Bad Season
Last season, Kepa joined Chelsea with high expectations, replacing the departed Thibaut Courtois who had left for Real Madrid. His tenure began well with 14 clean sheets in the league.
This year, though, it’s been a total 180 turn. According to OptaJoe, Arrizabalaga is having the worst season in terms of stopping shots since they began keeping the data in the 2003/04 season.
FBRef doesn’t rate him much higher either, coming in 19th out of 19 goalkeepers that qualify with the lowest save percentage of all of them. He also ranks near the bottom in terms of clean sheet percentage.
Suffice it to say, Arrizabalaga has had a bad year and the stats certainly justify Lampard benching the Spanish keeper. In the Leicester match Saturday, the first goal took a deflection and no keeper, Caballero or Arrizabalaga, would’ve saved it.
Several occasions, though, have seen the Spaniard at fault for goals, and because of it, he found himself on the bench and likely will again.
Caballero a Capable Deputy for Kepa Arrizabalaga?
If Arrizabalaga stays glued to the bench, Caballero is Chelsea’s only option to deputize. For Chelsea, previously at Manchester City, and even with Argentina, he has shown how mistake-prone he can be, making his inclusion just as worrying as that of the man he’s replacing.
Against Leicester, he did…..alright. He did make a nice one-v-one save against Jamie Vardy. Of course, though, disaster struck. It was only a matter of when.
In the second half, a cross floated from left to right across the box and Caballero left his line to chase it. As he approached the side of the 18-yard box, he panicked and turned back, realizing he wouldn’t get to the ball in time. Leicester’s Ricardo Pereira controlled the ball and crossed it back into the box for Ben Chilwell to score the Foxes’ second.
Would Arrizabalaga have recklessly chased a ball, leaving the net open? Would he have scrambled back in time to stop the shot? Could or should have Caballero? That comparison will inevitably be made nonstop until Arrizabalaga comes back to the side (if he does).
Lampard played Caballero for a distinct reason. Maybe he’s pulling psychological strings that will improve Arrizabalaga, just as people like to credit him with doing the same to Christian Pulisic at the beginning of the season before he started to perform well.
Or, he might have attempted to put pressure on the board to bring in a new keeper this summer. If he has made up his mind and doesn’t see Arrizabalaga as the long-term future, Caballero’s mistakes and a nerve-wracking top-four pursuit to end the year will speak volumes to the board.
What Happens Next?
Lampard has a reason for benching Arrizabalaga, although it’s not exactly clear yet what that motivation is. The more cynical will say he wants to sabotage the rest of the season, not qualify for the Champions League, and pressure the board to spend.
That’s a bit rich. However, viewing Arrizabalaga not as the long-term keeper and wanting a replacement isn’t. Lampard told the board, the team, and of course the keeper in particular, that his bad stats, his previous baggage such as refusing to be substituted in last year’s Carabao Cup final, and general decline in play won’t be tolerated. In fact, it’s unacceptable.
If Kepa Arrizabalaga had performed well, kept clean sheets, and saved Chelsea points, then the manager would be more inclined to put up with his issues. Clearly, though, that’s not the case.
He has caused his own demise at the club. His talents have exceeded his problems, and now, he may have played his final Chelsea game because of it.
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