Why Tottenham Hotspur should welcome Chelsea manager’s comments on Kepa Arrizabalaga

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Spurs head to Stamford Bridge in the Premier League on Wednesday night with Kepa’s first-team place in doubt.

While Tottenham Hotspur’s preparations for Wednesday’s Premier League meeting with Chelsea appear relatively straightforward, those of their opponents are anything but, with the fallout from their Carabao Cup final defeat still in the air.

Following Kepa Arrizabalaga’s refusal to be substituted by Blues manager Maurizio Sarri as penalties loomed against Manchester City on Sunday, there has been plenty of discussion and speculation regarding the future of both the player and the coach.

Although the 24-year-old has apologised and was fined a week’s wages for his actions, it remains to be seen whether he will now lose his starting spot in Sarri’s XI for the welcoming of Spurs to Stamford Bridge in midweek.

Speaking to BBC Sport, the Italian said of Kepa: “It will be a decision for the [good of the] group. For all the players. He has to [be mentally ready to play]. He made a mistake. A big mistake. There are some consequences. If the consequence is to play, he has to be ready to play. If the consequence is the bench, he has to be ready to go to the bench.”

At first glance, this seems like a hint towards the Spaniard being dropped, and should that be the case, it appears likely that Willy Caballero, the player who was tabled in to replace Kepa on Sunday, will get the nod in between the sticks – something which Spurs should welcome.

Although Caballero is known to be an efficient penalty stopper, he has not had much game time in the Premier League, with just 26 top-flight appearances for Man City and then Chelsea since arriving in England in 2014.

And even though his overall win record is good, with 16 wins and just four defeats from those 26 games, two of these losses were against Spurs – one in City colours and one in Chelsea colours (Football London).

And if those statistics weren’t enough, he also didn’t have the best time for Argentina at the World Cup: