Thomas Tuchel insists Kepa Arrizabalaga is a safe pair of hands as Chelsea bid to end Tottenham's Wembley hopes in the EFL Cup.
Kepa has been Chelsea's preferred goalkeeper in the competition this season and has shone so far, but the biggest test awaits as Tuchel takes his side to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Chelsea hold a 2-0 lead from the first leg, but Tuchel promised there would be no complacency from his charges on Wednesday, warning that "anything can happen" in such a game.
What he is confident about is that Kepa has matured as a goalkeeper, after enduring rocky spells during his Blues career.
The Spaniard made three errors leading to goals in just 14 games last season, with only four goalkeepers across Europe's top five competitions making more.
He only made two mistakes leading to a shot in 2019-20, but Chelsea still felt compelled to find a replacement ahead of last term, with Edouard Mendy coming in to provide a more reassuring presence behind the defence.
After a fine maiden campaign at Stamford Bridge, Mendy remains the Premier League first pick, but Kepa has been mostly exemplary when given a chance.
"I never experienced Kepa nervous, not one single day," said Tuchel. "The good thing is, it was a very genuine trust everybody had in Kepa once we let him play.
"He was very calm, very focused. I had the feeling he does not need to show in this 90 minutes [against Tottenham] that he is capable.
"We trust him and he is capable. We have him and are so happy to have him and that's maybe the difference. We're happy for him that he can show it."
Since joining Chelsea in 2018, Kepa has played 116 games and made 10 errors in that time that have resulted in shots, three of which led to goals – last season's unfortunate bumper crop.
In the same period, Everton's Jordan Pickford has played 133 goals and made 20 errors leading to shots, of which 12 led to goals.
Liverpool's Alisson has played 154 games, making nine errors leading to goals, while Manchester United's David de Gea has featured 151 times and made 12 errors costing his side a goal, the joint-leader in that metric along with Pickford.
Tottenham's Hugo Lloris has been responsible for mistakes that have cost Spurs six goals in his 138 games since the beginning of the 2018-19 season, with such evidence suggesting the common perception of Kepa as being calamity-prone might be unfair.
In the EFL Cup alone this season, Opta data shows Kepa has conceded five fewer goals than expected, based on expected goals on target (xGOT), which examines the quality of shots he has faced.
Ahead of Kepa, Tuchel was toying with throwing N'Golo Kante and Thiago Silva back into his matchday squad after recent brushes with COVID-19, although that hinged on them being given the all-clear by club medics at training later on Tuesday, with cardiac tests required.
"If we do it, it's a gamble," Tuchel said.
Wembley beckons, but Tuchel says it remains a distant prospect for Chelsea, despite their healthy lead.
"I would say we have no foot in the final," he said. "We play another tough match in a tough stadium against a very good team and a top, top, top coach."
Clearly Tuchel believes Spurs boss Antonio Conte will still fancy turning around the tie. Yet the fact Harry Kane has not scored in his last six encounters with Chelsea appears to bode well for Wednesday night's visitors.
Tottenham will be looking to become just the second team to reach the EFL Cup final having lost a semi-final first leg by more than one goal, after Aston Villa did so against Tranmere Rovers in the 1993-94 campaign.
"We need to be prepared," said Tuchel, "and it's maybe better not to expect too much because nobody knows what's going to happen. We had a very good match in the first leg, but it's over. it's the past."
Son Heung-min believes Arsenal should fear in-form Tottenham
Tottenham captain Son Heung-min is eager to right the wrongs of last season’s north London derby results and knows Arsenal will not want to face them.
Spurs lost 3-1 and 2-0 to their closest rivals during the 2022-23 campaign, which allowed Arsenal to complete a first double in this fixture since 2014.
Last season proved to be a nadir for Tottenham with a number of managerial changes followed by an eighth-placed finish, but the appointment of Ange Postecoglou has transformed the mood in N17.
Postecoglou claimed the Premier League manager of the month award for August and Spurs will travel to the Emirates Stadium on a four-match winning streak in the division.
“Any away game is tough in the Premier League, it’s not easy. We had a tough year at Arsenal last season,” Son acknowledged.
“I know what it means for the club, the fans and players as well. We should understand what kind of game it is. It’s going to be a really difficult game but they won’t want to face us at this time.
“We just have to give it everything we have and it will be a difficult game for both sides, but we’re looking forward to this game because it’s the right time to play against them. We’ll have a good game.”
While Tottenham have enjoyed a flying start to life under Postecoglou, Arsenal warmed up for Sunday’s clash with a 4-0 victory over PSV Eindhoven on their Champions League return.
Spurs were also rocked this week by the news Ivan Perisic has suffered a complex anterior cruciate ligament injury to his right knee.
It will reduce Postecoglou’s options from the bench and Bryan Gil, who had surgery on his groin in August, is still working his way back to full fitness and not training with the first-team group yet.
Nevertheless, Son will remind the squad and any new arrivals in the coming days of the importance of this weekend’s fixture.
He added: “It is a special game, for them as well. The result is probably the most important of the season. Look, we had a tough year of away games, it was tough to take. Winning is never free.
“You go there and you won’t get three points for free. We wish we could get them for free. Go there, get three points and come back. It sounds easy but it’s never like that.
“We have to work hard, we’re working hard in the week. The players are ready and looking forward to it. I’m pretty sure they don’t want to face us at this moment. I guarantee we’re going to give everything. The result I can’t promise you, but one thing I can guarantee is we’re going to give everything for this club on Sunday.”
KC, C'Bar blank Camperdown, Charlie Smith in Group A double-header
Former champions Kingston College and Calabar continued their upward trend in Group A of the ISSA/Digicel Manning Cup, as both registered 2-0 and 3-0 victories over Camperdown and Charlie Smith respectively at the Anthony Spaulding Sports Complex on Wednesday.
Both Kingston College and Calabar, who lost their opening contests, have rebounded nicely with these being their second win on the trot in a competitive group that is expected to go down to the wire for the top two positions.
In the opening contest, Alex Hislop (fourth) and Kelvin Brown (65th) got the job done for Kingston College over Camperdown, while Javel Watson (20th), Fitzroy McLeod (79th) and Kimani Thompson (90+2), were on target for Calabar in the feature encounter.
With the win, both Calabar and Kingston College moved to six points, along with leader Hydel, who hammered Penwood 10-0 in their fixture. Charlie Smith remains in fourth on three points, with Camperdown and Penwood yet to put a point on the board.
After Hislop fired Kingston College in front, the tempo of the young North Street-based team dropped significantly but picked up when the game resumed from a short break due to severe weather conditions.
Kingston College should have added a second from the penalty spot, but Dejuan Green tried to be too fancy and hit the 12-yard kick wide, as the score remained 1-0 at the break.
The purples continued their dominant show on the resumption and though Camperdown tried to play their game, the failed to really trouble Dominic Robinson in goal for Kingston College.
Vassell Reynolds’s side eventually added to their tally when Brown waltzed his way around three defenders before finishing a right-footer with aplomb to seal the win.
Though not impressed, Reynolds welcomed the improved second half display and, by extension, the win.
“I think we rose to the occasion; it is still a work in progress, but the youngsters are learning very quickly. I am pretty satisfied with how they recovered from the first half. I thought the break helped us really, we were giving away possession of the ball and we lacked the composure in the first half, but they came out and equipped themselves in the second half,” Reynolds said in his post-game assessment.
His counterpart Lebert Halliman cited indiscipline for his team’s defeat, their second of the season. They also have against Hydel in which they are down 0-5 to be completed.
“Indiscipline is why I took off my captain because he wasn’t playing his role. But overall, I think the team did well, it’s a young team and a long season, so it’s a learning process for them,” Halliman said.
The feature contest was much more eventful, as both Charlie Smith and Calabar were evenly matched for the most parts.
Both displayed individual flair and some colorful plays in patches, but it was Calabar that proved the most clinical in the end.
The Andrew Price-conditioned Calabar opened the scoring in the 20th minute when an unmarked Watson, easily headed home at close range from a Jaheim Rankine cross.
They almost doubled the lead 12 minutes later, as Sheridan Wilson’s stinging right-footed shot from a distance had Deonte Gary, in goal for Charlie Smith beaten, but the effort came back off the crossbar.
With no changes to the scoreline at the break, Charlie Smith showed more purpose on the resumption in their hunt for the equalizer. However, they not only found themselves with a numerical disadvantage when they lost Gary to straight red in the 61st minute for stomping on an opponent, but they also found themselves with a two-goal deficit to make up.
This, as Anthony McDonald’s weighted free kick found McLeod, who made no mistakes.
And if that wasn’t bad enough, Thompson rubbed salt on an already wounded Charlie Smith with an easy close range finish in time added.
Wednesday’s results
Zone A
Kingston College 2, Camperdown 0
Charlie Smith 0, Calabar 3
Penwood 0, Hydel High 10
Zone B
Meadowbrook 3, Cumberland 2
Jamaica College 3, Spanish Town 0
Zone D
Excelsior 7, Cedar Grove 1
Bridgeport 2, Clan Carthy 1
Zone E
St Catherine 7, Edith Dalton James 0
Innswood 2, Holy Trinity 0
Mona 9, St Mary’s College 1
Kelechi Iheanacho and Kasey McAteer fire Leicester to win at Norwich
Leicester moved back into the top two of the Championship with a hard-fought 2-0 win at Norwich.
The Canaries had won all three of their previous games at Carrow Road this season and proved to be spirited opponents on a miserable evening in Norfolk.
But the visitors turned in a disciplined display to take all three points, with a Kelechi Iheanacho penalty on the stroke of half-time and a late tap-in from Kasey McAteer securing a sixth win in seven games for Enzo Maresca’s men.
A dull first half sprung to life in the dying minutes, with Leicester edging in front from the penalty spot.
Dangerman Stephy Mavididi set up the opener by bursting clear down the left flank and racing into the area, where his progress was halted by a shove in the back from Christian Fassnacht.
Referee Graham Scott pointed straight to the spot and Iheanacho did the rest, with Angus Gunn unable to keep out his well struck penalty despite getting a hand to it.
Moments later Mavididi was through again and this time he managed to get in a shot himself, with a curling effort drifting just wide of the far post.
Earlier both sides had struggled to create openings as they sought to build patiently from the back.
Fassnacht had a couple of shots for the Canaries, the latter drawing a comfortable save from Mads Hermansen, while defender Wout Faes went close with a pair of headers for the Foxes.
Despite losing striker Ashley Barnes to injury Norwich looked the side more likely to score early in the second period, although they again struggled to create decent openings.
The visitors seemed content to sit back and rely on the occasional counter-attack, with Gunn seeing precious little action.
Norwich continued to press and almost drew level in the 71st minute when it needed a superb reaction save from Hermansen to keep out a close-range header from Shane Duffy, who was picked out by a pinpoint cross from substitute Onel Hernandez.
They came even closer a few minutes later when Kenny McLean shipped an effort against the underside of the bar following a poor clearance from the otherwise excellent keeper.
It was all Norwich now, with Gabriel Sara brushing the side-netting with a 25-yard free-kick, although McAteer should have sealed it for the Foxes with a free header at the back post.
McAteer made up for that glaring miss by wrapping up the points for Leicester in the 87th minute.
A slick move ended with Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall one on one with Gunn and instead of shooting the substitute squared for his unmarked colleague to side-foot home into an empty net.
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