Kepa's path to becoming Chelsea's penalty king after Carabao Cup dispute

Kepa Arrizabalaga still holds painful memories of the Carabao Cup final after a row with manager Maurizio Sarri overshadowed their showpiece event in 2019. But when Chelsea face Liverpool at Wembley this weekend, the £71million goalkeeper may have the perfect opportunity to find redemption.

Sunday's final will mark exactly three years since Arrizabalaga refused an order from Sarri to be substituted in the final seconds of extra-time as penalties loomed against Manchester City.

The Italian favoured Willy Caballero for the shootout and had readied the veteran goalkeeper on the touchline to replace Arrizabalaga after he went down injured.

But the former Athletic Bilbao man had other ideas, gesturing he didn't need to come off and remained on the pitch.

Sarri was left incensed at this blatant disregard for his authority and at one point even threatened to walk down the tunnel, before being ushered back by his staff. The game carried on as Arrizabalaga stayed in goal but Chelsea were in disarray. It was no surprise that they would go on to lose the shootout.

The post-match hype centred around painting Arrizabalaga — who failed to make a save — as the villain for putting his interests above the team's. Perhaps it was deserved, as it appeared to the world to be an act of insubordination and selfishness.

But Arrizabalaga later claimed it was a simple miscommunication which caused confusion on the pitch: "I tried to signal that I was OK, that I wasn't injured," he told The Players' Tribune.

"But we were at Wembley in front of more than 80,000 people, so of course Sarri didn't understand me. When the fourth official raised the board, clearly I should have come off, and I'm sorry I didn't.

"I was wrong, and I am sorry for everyone who was involved: for Maurizio Sarri, who it seemed like I had undermined in public; for Willy (Caballero), a team-mate and a great professional; and for all my team-mates and Chelsea fans who had to put up with everything — all the noise that was generated during the game and then in the days after."

That apology appeared to give him some much-needed closure as he focused on rebuilding his Chelsea career, after a nightmare spell which included high-profile errors under Sarri and a leaky backline under Frank Lampard.

Arrizabalaga did not choose his £71m price tag but the Spain international was clearly burdened by it, as he struggled to replicate the form that cemented his status as one of La Liga's most reliable shot-stoppers.

That price, in reality, was inflated due to the expedited nature of Thibaut Courtois' £35m move to Real Madrid. Chelsea had to find an adequate replacement and ultimately paid over the odds for a goalkeeper with the best years of his career ahead of him.

It soon became clear that he could not continue as the club's number one goalkeeper if they were to challenge for honours and, during their £220m summer splurge in 2020, Chelsea signed Edouard Mendy from Rennes.

Almost immediately, Arrizabalaga was consigned to the bench where he would spend the rest of the season.

A loan move back to Spain seemed to be the ideal scenario for all parties. But Lampard's sacking in January 2021 gave Arrizabalaga a fresh start to impress his new boss and he stayed put. Since Tuchel's arrival, the Spaniard has undergone a dramatic transformation, regaining his confidence and working tirelessly to improve his performance levels.

While Mendy has excelled in his role as Chelsea's No1, Arrizabalaga has been handed chances to impress in cup ties. He has started every game in the Carabao Cup this season on their journey to the final, conceding just twice in five games, and his performances in penalty shootouts have been highly impressive.

Chelsea have won their last three shootouts, the club's best-ever run in that area, and it is in no small part down to Arrizabalaga's work on honing his craft that the Blues have been able to progress.

It was notable that during the UEFA Super Cup against Villarreal, Tuchel decided to bring on the 27-year-old in the 121st minute with the score deadlocked at 1-1. Kepa hadn't touched the ball before stepping up to face the Spanish side but the German was confident he was a better option than Mendy.

"It wasn't spontaneous. We talked about it with the goalkeepers soon after we came [to the club]," Tuchel said.

"We were well-prepared. We had a statistic that Kepa is the best in terms of saving penalties. The analysts showed me the data and then we spoke with the players that this can happen in knockout games."

The irony won't be lost on the Spaniard that he was once the goalkeeper deemed second-best when it came to penalties. Now, he is the one called upon to produce the goods for Chelsea at the expense of his team-mate.

The old adage often suggests that penalties are a lottery, but Tuchel would beg to differ. When Kepa is planted between the posts, their chances of progression are statistically proven to be much higher — and their results this season prove it.

He made a crucial save from the spot to deny Plymouth's Ryan Hardie in the final minute of extra time in the FA Cup fourth round, and Chelsea advanced to the next round with a narrow 2-1 victory.

It was Arrizabalaga who denied Marvelous Nakamba against Aston Villa as Chelsea won 5-4 in the third round, his seventh shootout stop since joining the club — meaning he surpassed Petr Cech's previous record of six saves.

Not bad going for a goalkeeper widely condemned as a £71m flop.

What it does mean is that Tuchel now faces a dilemma in deciding whether to stick with his tried and trusted cup goalkeeper for the game at Wembley or reinstate Mendy.

Ben Lyttleton, author of the book 'Twelve Yards: The Art and Psychology of a Perfect Penalty Kick', suggests Tuchel may feel inclined to bring on Arrizabalaga just before any potential shootout due to the psychological effect it can have on the opposition.

"The job of the coach when it comes to a shootout is to ensure that the best team is on the pitch to win it," he told Mirror Football.

"For me, it's no different to bringing on an outfield player to take a penalty as a late sub and hope that because he's a specialist, they're going to score.

"In addition to his record, there's a psychological effect on the other team as well. If they see a player deemed to be a penalty specialist coming on for the shootout, that will push them to aim for tighter corners and margins because they believe the goalkeeper has a better chance of saving their penalty.

"He [Kepa] is confident and has very good body language in that scenario. It makes it a fascinating decision for Tuchel on how to manage it, but he's on an incredible penalty run and in that situation, confidence breeds confidence.

"Penalty shootouts are a habit. Studies have shown if you've lost your last shootout, you're more likely to lose again and conversely if you've won, you're more likely to win again. In that respect, Chelsea should feel very confident."

Tuchel will feel more comfortable in placing his faith in Arrizabalaga after Mendy's participation in the Africa Cup of Nations forced him to use his backup stopper. In Mendy's absence, he kept one clean sheet and conceded only twice in three games.

The Chelsea boss made it clear that the Senegalese is his first-choice goalkeeper, which is certainly no shock given his popularity and current status as the holder of UEFA's Best Goalkeeper award. He also dropped Kepa for the Club World Cup final victory over Palmeiras a fortnight ago.

But given his run in the competition and his recent upturn in form, it is conceivable that Arrizabalaga will be handed the gloves for the final — something few could have imagined during his most turbulent period at the club.

It will be impossible to block out the noise reminding him of that day at Wembley three years ago and nothing can change that it happened. But at least now, he has the chance to wipe the slate clean by reprising on his role as Chelsea's penalty king once more.