Chelsea is a squad that has always had some great goalkeepers. This is a reason to visit the 1xBet new link in order to start wagering on this squad. At the end of the 2017-18 season, Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois left the English squad in order to join Real Madrid. This meant that the English team needed a new keeper that could properly replace the excellent Belgian keeper.
Eventually, they found Courtois’ replacement. Chelsea decided to sign Spanish keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga from Athletic Bilbao, who at the time was a young keeper with a brilliant future ahead. Kepa also played in other teams such as:
- Ponferradina;
- Valladolid;
- and Basconia.
It is likely that those in charge of Chelsea at the time wanted to replicate what Manchester United did with David de Gea, who was signed at a very young age from Atlético Madrid.
However, unlike de Gea’s situation at United, where he became the undoubted starting keeper after replacing Edwin van der Sar, Kepa had many difficulties. Yet, Chelsea continues to perform greatly, and the new link of 1xBet is a great place to start wagering on this squad.
Unconvincing performances and problems with the coaches
Kepa’s transfer to Chelsea made him the most expensive keeper at the time, and he started in a great manner, with convincing and solid performances. Considering how great Chelsea is as a team, don’t forget to make 1xbet.com login to start wagering on the squad.
However, the keeper made some high-profile mistakes that cost many points to his team. In fact, Italian coach Maurizio Sarri decided to relegate Kepa to the bench, making Argentinian Willy Caballero the starting keeper for the time being.
Yet, Kepa would continue to play in the FA and League Cups, with good performances. However, this was not enough to convince Sarri, and he continued as a substitute keeper for the EPL matches. The English Premier League is also available when making a 1xBet login, where great wagers can be made.
Naturally, Kepa was frustrated by being Chelsea’s second keeper. However, tensions peaked on the 24th of February 2019. On this day, the final of the League Cup was played between Chelsea and Manchester City. The match ended 0-0 in the 120 minutes, and City won 4-3 on the penalty shoot-out.
Yet, a few minutes before the end of the extra time, Kepa seemed to show signs of injury. Sarri didn’t want to take any chances. He ordered replacement keeper Willy Caballero, who is also a specialist in penalties, to get ready to enter the field.
However, when the substitution was announced, Kepa refused to leave the field, despite Sarri screaming at him from the sidelines to leave. Eventually, he stood on the field, and Chelsea lost on the penalties.
