'I noticed': BBC pundit shares what they spotted about Kepa and Mendy when they played for Chelsea last season
Kepa Arrizabalaga and Edouard Mendy both looked really uncomfortable last season in Chelsea’s goal when it came to dealing with crosses into the penalty box.
That is according to BBC pundit Karen Bardsley.
The Blues completed a full reshuffle in-between the sticks over the summer, with Robert Sanchez joining from Brighton to become the first-choice goalkeeper at Stamford Bridge.
Edouard Mendy left the club to join Saudi Arabia club Al Ahli on a permanent basis. Meanwhile, Kepa Arrizabalaga exited on a season-long loan to Spanish giants Real Madrid.
Both keepers did enjoy some success in Chelsea colours, especially Mendy when he won the Champions League a couple of years ago, but eventually cracks did appear in both their games.
Chelsea weakness
Karen Bardsley spotted both high-profile goalkeepers were extremely vulnerable last season at Chelsea with aerial duels.
Mendy, 31, ended up losing his starting position for the Blues last season as handling errors crept into his game. For 29-year-old Kepa, he’s not the biggest and demanding his box isn’t his biggest strength.
Bardsley wrote for BBC Sport: “I noticed last season that Kepa and Mendy both looked like they were glued to their line a lot of the time. I don’t know if that was something they’d been told to do, or whether they were waiting for their centre-halves to clear the danger.
“Yes, they could both rely on their shot-stopping ability from there, but they looked increasingly uncomfortable with dealing with crosses and corners as the campaign progressed.”
Kepa and Mendy replacement
In fairness, Sanchez may have exceeded the expectation of most with a positive start to his Chelsea career.
There’s some question marks still about the 25-year-old Spaniard when he’s playing out from the back with the ball at his feet, but he looks a colossus in goal with a real presence. It’s a relief to have a keeper who comes off his line to gather set-pieces.
Speaking via Chelsea’s X account earlier this month, Sanchez admitted he’s targeting the Premier League golden glove during his first season at Chelsea. He’s got three clean sheets in his opening eight league matches, with Arsenal up next this evening.
The post 'I noticed': BBC pundit shares what they spotted about Kepa and Mendy when they played for Chelsea last season appeared first on The Chelsea Chronicle.
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