With the Africa Cup of Nations, Chelsea fans were once worried that the cup would have an impact on their season. Mendy was the only Blues player to travel to Cameroon, where he played a key role in Senegal's eventual victory. However, his absence means Kepa is once again the favourite for teams in West London. Since Mendy joined in 2020, Kepa has struggled with game time. The latter joined Chelsea from Bilbao in 2018 to become the world's most expensive goalkeeper, yet at odds with the demands of English football. About two years ago, Kepa's starting spot was taken away by Mendy, but even in sporadic appearances in cup matches, he was in a worrying state.
In the 2020-21 season, no player made more mistakes than Kepa (3 times) that led to goals from opponents. He made seven league appearances that season. Head coach Tuchel chose the 27-year-old in the domestic cup to give him playing time, but in January the German was forced to make adjustments because of the Africa Cup. However, in Mendy's absence, Kepa performed well. When he joined the team, taking into account the amount of the fee and succeeding Courtois, one of the best goalkeepers in the industry, he was thrust into the spotlight. The drop in confidence has affected his performance with Chelsea, coupled with the pursuit of Mendy and the subsequent signing, and his poor performance when Kepa was used occasionally last season was not shocking.
That said, Mendy's arrival, while leaving Kepa in second place, proved to be a blessing in the long run. Admittedly, Kepa's playing time has been greatly reduced thanks to the arrival of the Senegalese goalkeeper, but in this way Kepa has escaped the criticism of fans and the media, with plenty of time to refocus on the sidelines, at least mentally improving. His first Premier League appearance this season came in a 3-0 win at Tottenham, when Spurs were still coached by Nuno as Mendy was unable to play due to injury. Kepa played little in a rather one-sided victory in North London, although it was steady on call, making two saves. Crucially, he kept a game without conceding a goal, a feat that could have boosted his confidence.
Although he remained on the bench after that victory, his consistent performances in the Cup meant he was ready to take over from Mendy as he flew to Cameroon with Senegal. And Kepa wasn't really scared when he needed to, at least a noticeable improvement from his performances in the previous season. Admittedly, Chelsea lost points against Manchester City and Brighton, but Kepa could hold his head high because he knew he hadn't lost his place in the squad. For Tuchel, the question now is how he will continue to work with Kepa when Chelsea's Premier League is back on track, or how to get Mendy back into the squad. The Blues are currently competing in the Club World Cup, with Mendy set to round with his teammates after his victory in the Africa Cup of Nations final against Egypt, and Kepa is expected to retain his place after a series of tough matches.
Still, when Chelsea do return to England, Tuchel has a tough decision to make. It's not uncommon to have two top goalkeepers in the squad, and for the Blues, Mendy is arguably the best of two good goalkeepers. However, for a goalkeeper like Kepa who has regained his self-confidence, abandoning him now could do more harm than good. "In the last few games I've felt like he's been very reliable in the game," Chelsea assistant coach Arnold Michels said of Kepa after last weekend's FA Cup win over Plymouth, the 54-year-old assistant coach who took over the game after Tuchel tested positive for covid-19. The Spaniard saved the penalty in extra time, earning praise from Michels, which was gratifying during Mendy's absence.
Kepa played an important role in Chelsea's progression to the League Cup final, with the team beating Tottenham Hotspur 3-0 on aggregate over two legs – interestingly, Kepa conceded four of his five games this season against Tottenham Hotspur – both in the Premier League and the League Cup, with Kepa having the highest save success rate among players who have made five or more appearances, saving 85.7 per cent of the 35 shots he has faced. In addition, he has made more saves (7) in penalties than any goalkeeper in Chelsea's history. No wonder Tuchel trusted Kepa in the cup. However, what happens next for Kepa and Chelsea is a selection conundrum for Tuchel. If he is injured, he will miss the League Cup final at the end of February, but who will start when Chelsea restart their league at Crystal Palace will be something to look forward to.
As mentioned earlier, Mendy is the best of the two goalkeepers, but it's hard to ignore Kepa's good form over the last few weeks, and for a confident player, losing his place would blow his morale and ruin everything Tuchel has done to rebuild espanyol mental toughness. It's a dilemma that no manager would be jealous of, however the Chelsea manager can take comfort in that he's not just one but two good goalkeepers and in a pinch Kepa has proven him to be a very capable deputy for Mendy, which at least bodes well for the Blues' future.