It’s hard being a goalkeeper in England and after his latest calamity it looks all over for Arrizabalaga at ChelseaSo there you were, laid out on the grass, a long way from home. And as Liverpool celebrated their second goal, their whoops and cheers burned your ears, and as your teammates solemnly turned their backs, their silence did the same. And the grass felt cold beneath you, but you were grateful for it all the same. Because without it, you felt like you would never stop falling.And you thought about the hills around Ondarroa, the little Basque fishing village where you grew up, and those hot summer days when you would climb the tall beech trees trying to catch goldfinches....
Spaniard’s display against Liverpool sums up his struggles but there is a pattern of goalkeepers saving less under LampardKepa Arrizabalaga’s time as Chelsea goalkeeper, you suspect, will be remembered for two incidents. First there’s him on the Wembley turf, defying Maurizio Sarri and refusing to be substituted before the penalty shootout in the Carabao Cup final in 2019. And then there’s him on Sunday, playing the ball straight to Sadio Mané to concede a second against Liverpool. Two moments 19 months apart in which the world’s most expensive goalkeeper went from self-belief that only he could get the job done to swigging awkwardly at his water bottle, apparently desperate to be anywhere but in his six-yard box having confirmed his...
Sadio Mané, Mo Salah and Roberto Firmino combined to stunning effect to remind us they remain the standard-settersLiverpool haven’t signed any quality attackers. Liverpool are overly reliant on their front three. Liverpool need a genuine centre-forward.All these statements, heard on and off through the last few weeks of the summer window, may be true. But neither are true enough to outrank another more palpable fact: the ongoing sharp-edged brilliance of Jürgen Klopp’s existing front three. Related: Kepa made a 'clear mistake' but we will support him, says Frank Lampard Continue reading...
Backed by a clutch of costly summer arrivals, the bristling Chelsea manager must back his jibes with results “Only title you’ve won and you’re giving it the big ’un.”There were some fascinating shades to the touchline stramash between Frank Lampard and Jürgen Klopp in the dog days of the Premier League’s summer season. Related: Frank Lampard tells Callum Hudson-Odoi to work harder for Chelsea place Uncle Harry Redknapp told a televised fans forum that Frank would go 'right to the very top' as a player Related: Chelsea's swanky rebuild is in need of more solid foundations | Jacob Steinberg Continue reading...
Frank Lampard will be satisfied with his new-look side but knows the old problems are still lurking in the backgroundIf title challenges are built on the ability to grind out scrappy 1-0 wins on the road, then Chelsea are not ready to catch Liverpool and Manchester City. An attack infused with elite Bundesliga talent is not enough.With Kepa Arrizabalaga flapping behind a defence that still gives too many chances away, the same old weaknesses remain impossible to ignore. In the end Frank Lampard could speak about resilience and determination. Related: Reece James lights up the night as Chelsea ride their luck at Brighton Related: Wolves catch Sheffield United cold through Raúl Jiménez and Romain Saïss Continue reading...