Kepa Form Hailed By Chelsea Assistant Zsolt Low
Kepa Arrizabalaga has been praised by Chelsea assistant manager Zsolt Low following an impressive performance in the FIFA Club World Cup semi-final against Al-Hilal on Wednesday.
Chelsea scraped through to the final against Brazilian outfit Palmeiras on Saturday thanks to a 1-0 victory at the Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi.
Romelu Lukaku’s first half strike was enough for the Blues but they were indebted to their Spanish goalkeeper for a number of stunning stops.
Kepa has got a run in the Chelsea side thanks to Edouard Mendy’s departure for the recently concluded Africa Cup of Nations and even though the Senegalese goalkeeper returned to the side, the former Athletic Bilbao shot stopper retained his place.
Kepa also saved a last-minute penalty against Plymouth Argyle in Chelsea’s previous game in the FA Cup and Low, who deputised for the coronavirus-stricken Thomas Tuchel in the dugout, has been impressed with his performance.
"[Kepa's] very important," he said. "In the cup, he did a big performance to save the penalty.
"Today when we needed him, he was there and made one big save.
"He's in very good shape; he plays and trains well. We're lucky to have him.
"In the next days, we have to decide who plays the final.
"We're waiting for Thomas' opinion and the goalkeeping coaches before we take the decision for the final."
