Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka did give special praise to Chelsea’s Kepa Arrizabalaga after facing him yesterday in the Premier League.
Arsenal ran out comfortable 3-1 winners last night over Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium, which elevates them back to the top of the league table.
The Gunners blasted through the Blues defence with goals from Martin Odegaard (two) and Gabriel Jesus inside a one-sided first-half.
In truth, Chelsea would’ve leaked plenty more if not for some decent pieces of defending. For example, Thiago Silva produced a composed goal-line clearance in the second period that left Jamie Carragher in awe.
In addition, Blues keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga made some smart saves during the contest.
Xhaka singled out one Chelsea opponent during his post-match interview:
“Mikel [Arteta] wants me to be in the box to try to score and give assists. I’ve been in good positions today to score but Kepa did two amazing saves,” Xhaka told Sky Sports.
Kepa made a fantastic close-range block in the opening moments of the game to deny Xhaka. In addition, he made another smart low save from a Xhaka effort inside the box.
Kepa has proven he’s a decent goalkeeper with his mini revival this season, but he still lacks a big presence and we doubt he’s the long-term solution in-between the sticks.
The Evening Standard claimed last month that Chelsea would be prepared to sell Kepa if a suitable bid is made.
In our view, now is the time for the Spanish shot-stopper to move on.
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