Chelsea news: Thomas Tuchel should be ’embarrassed’ after Kepa Arrizabalaga reveal in last 24 hours – pundit
Thomas Tuchel should be “embarrassed” after Chelsea lost to Liverpool in the EFL Cup, according to Gabby Agbonlahor.
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the ex-Aston Villa and England attacker claimed the decision to replace Eduoard Mendy with Kepa Arrizabalaga for the penalty shoot-out was “very strange”.
Arizabalaga did not save any of Liverpool’s 11 penalties and missed his side’s decisive spot-kick.
As quoted by the Daily Mail yesterday (28 February), Tuchel defended his decision and insisted he should be blamed for the shootout defeat.
“I just thought it was strange,” Agbonlahor told Football Insider correspondent Connor Whitley.
“If Kepa was any good at shot-stopping he’d be starting ahead of Mendy. Mendy saved how many shots during the game? Why would he not be able to save penalties?
“He’s a bigger goalkeeper and a better shot-stopper, I just don’t understand it.
“Ok, it’s worked before but it’s come back to embarrass the club and embarrass Tuchel.
“We could have had that penalty shoot-out until April and he wouldn’t have saved a penalty.
“I don’t know where this idea has come from. He’s saved penalties in the past but they’ve probably been dreadful penalties.
“The Van Dijk penalty was on the side where he was stood and it still went it. This so-called good penalty saver, I haven’t seen it.
“Mendy will probably be thinking ‘Ok, at least that’s not happening again’.
“A keeper is coming in who has not had a warm-up with a ball because there’s no space and not up with the pace of the game.
“Mendy was making every save possible, the double save from Mane. He would have probably saved a few of those penalties.
“Very strange for me and I think it’s something the manager will regret.”
In other news, an ex-Premier League referee has demanded a radical change as controversial Chelsea footage is analysed.