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Watch: Kepa keeps Chelsea ahead with jaw-dropping TRIPLE stop

Planet Football •
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Chelsea’s Kepa Arrizabalaga is enjoying a surprise renaissance this season and the goalkeeper made a sensational triple save during Sunday’s Premier League match against Aston Villa.

Kepa joined Chelsea for £71.6million from Athletic Bilbao in 2018 – a world-record fee for a goalkeeper – but his time at Stamford Bridge is best remembered for his one-man protest during the 2019 League Cup final.

A number of goalkeeping gaffes saw him dropped by Frank Lampard, who signed Eduoard Mendy to replace him, and Thomas Tuchel only used Kepa in the domestic cup competitions.

But new boss Graham Potter gave Kepa a chance to redeem himself after an injury to Mendy and the Spain goalkeeper has taken the opportunity with both hands.

Speaking after Chelsea’s win over Crystal Palace at the start of October, Potter said: “He made a couple of big saves but I thought his distribution and decision-making was also strong.

“Ultimately, we need players to step up and I feel he did that today.”

“It’s important for us. At times, we have to play through the pressure, and it gives you the chance to attack the next line,” Potter said on the importance of Kepa after beating AC Milan at the San Siro this week.

“So it’s an important aspect of the team. But ultimately, they [the goalkeepers] are there to save the ball for us as well, and he did that when he had to.”

And the 28-year-old underlined his quality with a sensational piece of goalkeeping during Chelsea’s trip to Villa Park.

After Mason Mount had given the Blues an early lead, Villa battered the Chelsea backline but found Kepa in inspired form between the sticks.

He batted away a fierce shot from John McGinn before denying Jacob Ramsey with a superb save down low to his left.

But that wasn’t all. Kepa somehow managed to tip a close-ranged effort onto the post before Douglas Luiz blazed over. This is a man currently enjoying a rich vein of form.

READ MORE: Ranking Chelsea’s 22 Premier League keepers from worst to best

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