Loanee for Chelsea Iker Casillas, a former Real Madrid player, has lauded Kepa Arrizabalaga.
Kepa Arrizabalaga, who is now playing for the Spanish powerhouses for the season, has lately been under fire for a goal he let during his team’s 3-2 Champions League victory over Napoli.
Casillas supported his colleague, nevertheless, in a speech at the Festival dello Sport event hosted by La Gazzetta dello Sport.
After Thibaut Courtois, Real Madrid’s first-choice goalkeeper, sustained a long-term injury, the club chose to sign Kepa on a loan.
Kepa Arrizabalaga doing well
Casillas believes Kepa, 29, is doing a decent job at the Santiago Bernabeu despite some of the criticism he has faced.
The World Cup-winning captain stated this on Courtois and Kepa: “Courtois is now the finest goalkeeper, despite the fact that he is currently dealing with a significant injury.
“Despite the resemblance to the Belgian, I truly enjoy Kepa. Although he has drawn a lot of criticism, in my opinion, he is doing well and doing a great job of filling in for him.
Kepa Arrizabalaga’s height
Kepa does encounter difficulties from time to time, in part because of his height. The goalie for Spain is relatively small, being only 6 feet 2 inches tall.
Even his current boss Carlo Ancelotti acknowledged Kepa’s propensity for struggling in the air.
After Real Madrid’s victory over Napoli, the Italian was reported as stating, “He’s tremendous between the sticks and he made a great save in the first half, but he struggles in the air.”
It is one of the reasons we believe Chelsea should ponder about allowing the goalkeeper remain at Real Madrid if they decide they want to purchase him when his loan expires.
The Blues also acquired Robert Sanchez during the summer, who has flourished since moving to Stamford Bridge.
The former Brighton & Hove Albion player most recently took up the September Premier League Save of the Month award.
Overall, it appears like Chelsea should finally cut ties with Kepa, and it would not be surprising to learn if Chelsea makes that decision in the summer.
