One game completed; a trophy won. This could very well prove a very special season for Thomas Tuchel and his Chelsea players.
The Blues’ 2021/22 campaign got underway in Belfast yesterday night with the UEFA Super Cup against Europa League winners Villarreal. It was far from easy.
Chelsea went ahead at Windsor Park through Hakim Ziyech, who they later lost in the opening 45 minutes to a shoulder injury.
Ziyech’s departure and a lack of match fitness among the first-team group told in the second period. Villarreal took control and netted a deserved equaliser through Gerard Moreno. From that point on, the teams couldn’t be separated. Not even extra time made a difference.
And so penalties, for which Kepa Arrizabalga was introduced from the substitutes’ bench in place of Edouard Mendy. It was a big call by Thomas Tuchel, but one he explained after the Spaniard had saved two spot-kicks to secure victory was not taken in haste or on a whim.
“When we arrived for my first cup game against Barnsley, we had a talk with the goalkeeping coaches and the analysis department,” Tuchel explained in his post-match press conference.
“They came up with these statistics that Willy Caballero is the best in penalty saving from thousands of them, second best was Kepa and third best in Edou in this statistic.
“We spoke to the goalkeepers openly that it can be like this in a situation like today that we make this change, not for personal reasons, but to help the team’s chances because we have this statistic.
“Willy is not here anymore in the three. It showed all the fantastic spirit that they accept it and have no problem. When you see Mendy put his ego aside when we take this decision, and he is aware, this is key, why we do it. This is not a feeling and just a sudden idea of the manager.
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“This was planned and openly discussed with the goalkeepers and I am very happy that they showed this team spirit that Edou was fine to take this for the team.”
Tuchel will have known there was a risk to his decision to replace Mendy. It could have backfired on the German coach, it could have created a scene akin to that Kepa himself was in the middle of during the 2019 League Cup final against Manchester City.
Instead, it all played out as planned. Mendy, as the Chelsea head coach was quick to highlight after the game, was crucial in that. And the Senegal international was also hugely supportive of Kepa prior to the shootout.
There was a moment of calm after the Blues’ players broke from their spot-kicks huddle around Tuchel. It was at this moment that Mendy made a beeline for Kepa. There were a few quick words of encouragement from Chelsea’s number one to his deputy before the two shared an embrace.
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Mendy then watched on from the sidelines with the rest of the substitutes but was quick to celebrate with Kepa after the shootout.
“I’m happy because we won and we worked for this success,” Mendy told BT Sport after Chelsea’s win. “I knew since last year that if Kepa came on the pitch he would help the team. He did today and I’m really happy.”
And Chelsea’s goalkeeper certainly wasn’t alone in that.