Frank Lampard will have been left in no doubt that there’s still one issue he needs to sort out at Chelsea, after watching his side win their opening Premier League game of the season.

Chelsea managed to go down to Brighton and beat the Seagulls by three goals to one (BBC Match Report) but it’s that one goal conceded that will have Lampard still craving one more transfer signing this summer.

Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Leandro Brossard produced what seemed like a pretty average twenty yard strike but Spanish goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga failed to stop it hitting his net. The current Blues number one seemed slow in getting across his goal and didn’t seem switched on enough to keep the ball out.

Now this is unfortunately not the first time that the expensive keeper has been questioned after a costly mistake.

Kepa has conceded nine times with the last thirteen shots that have been aimed at his goal. He consistently falters when facing shots from outside his penalty area and he hasn’t collected a single corner since the start of last term!

The twenty-five year old seems to have lost all confidence and it also looks like Chelsea boss Lampard has serious doubts about his goalie. Towards the end of last season, Lampard would bring in veteran Argentine keeper Willy Caballero to keep goal in his side’s more important encounters.

Chelsea have been very busy during this transfer window as Frank Lampard solved various problems he had within his squad.

The Blues gaffer wanted an experienced centre-back to help shore things up at the back – Brazilian international Thiago Silva was brought in.

Chelsea needed a top quality forward to help lead the line – £45m was spent in bringing prolific German attacker Timo Werner from RB Leipzig (Source Sky Sports).

More goals are needed from central midfield – Young German star Kai Havertz has come in after banging in twelve goals in the Bundesliga last term.

A fresh face was needed to offer more creativity – It was agreed that Hakim Ziyech would be an ideal candidate and he was purchased from Ajax.

The only problem that still remains with in Lampard’s Chelsea squad comes in between the sticks. The Blues have been linked with various goalkeepers all summer but alas no one has come in to compete with Arrizabalaga for the number one jersey.

It now seems as though Edouard Mendy could be the man to come in as the club’s new goalie, with Talksport currently reporting that a £20m deal is ‘imminent‘.

If Mendy is as good as the last goalkeeper Chelsea signed from Ligue 1 side Rennes, then they’ll have a superstar on their hands. Former star Petr Cech became a Stamford Bridge legend after making the same move in 2005.

Edouard certainly looks to be a better choice when you compare his stats with Kepa’s during the last campaign.

Twenty-eight year old Mendy kept more cleansheets, even though he played less minutes. The Senegalese international also conceded on average less than a goal a game, whereas Kepa was conceding more than a goal a game. Mendy was also making more saves per game and had a greater save percentage too.

At six foot six, Edouard Mendy would add more stature within the Chelsea penalty area. You certainly imagine he’ll make more of an effort in collecting crosses.

If you look at last night’s Brighton goal, Mendy would bring in traits that would’ve probably seen him cover himself in more glory. The Rennes man is very quick on his feet and that allows him to cover his goalline effectively. He is more than capable to get down quickly to cover lower shots that come in at his goal from distance. The goalie possesses quick reflexes and makes good decisions when it comes to shot-stopping.

After his team’s victory Frank Lampard stated he was happy with Kepa:

“I am very happy with Kepa,”

“With the shot I’m not sure if he could’ve done any better. But I saw a bit more confidence in how he was playing. Kepa is here, he’s our keeper and I’m happy with him.”

Lampard Via The Guardian

I don’t think the Chelsea manager was being entirely honest but his words were understandable. There’s no point in kicking Kepa Arrizabalaga when he’s down.

Yet if Chelsea bring in Edouard Mendy this week, then they’ll show the world that they know that they need another goalkeeper at the club if they want to seriously challenge for titles this season.

Posted on September 15th, 2020 by scott
Filed under: Article