Chelsea: Thomas Tuchel catches heat for Kepa Arrizabalaga substitution

Thomas Tuchel made a risky substitution in the Carabao Cup, bringing in goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga off the bench.

Arrizabalaga had been a penalty kick wizard for Chelsea before his most recent showing, but that same magic did not rub off on the Chelsea goalkeeper this time out. Kepa faced 11 penalty kicks, failing to stop any.

Then, when it was his turn to step to the mark, Arrizabalaga failed miserably.

Was he aiming for the moon? Or perhaps the roof at Wembley?

Thomas Tuchel catches heat for Kepa Arrizabalaga sub

Tuchel has been a fine manager for Chelsea and is regarded as one of the top soccer minds in the world, so who are we to question him. Chelsea had plenty of chances early on to take the lead, only for the likes of Christian Pulisic to spoil those opportunities.

As for Kepa, it’s a tough assignment to ask for a goalkeeper. To come off the bench cold and stop penalties, as well as eventually take a kick yourself, is nearly impossible. However, Tuchel felt at the time it was the best tactical decision. He also decided to keep Romelu Lukaku out of the starting 11.

As is the case in any sport, penalties don’t necessarily measure the better team. If anything, it’s about luck, and that surely wasn’t on Chelsea’s side in the Carabao Cup final.

Chelsea fans weren’t as understanding:

https://twitter.com/UTDTrey/status/1498016811652165635

https://twitter.com/Super_Spunk/status/1498016874273062918

https://twitter.com/Lil_Aziiz/status/1498017795677868045

There were many more, as Tuchel was the subject of some criticism postgame. But most Chelsea fans understood that the time to point fingers is not now.

Sometimes it’s just the luck of the draw, and it wasn’t on Chelsea’s side on Sunday.