THERE was a time when Kepa Arrizabalaga (£2.9m) was not much more than a punchline.
Chelsea made the Spaniard the most-expensive goalkeeper in history when they signed him for £71million in 2018 but to date his Stamford Bridge career has largely been defined by two farcical incidents in Carabao Cup finals.
In 2019 he refused to be substituted despite Maurizio Sarri clearly wanting to bring Willy Caballero on, only to then perform miserably in the penalty shootout that followed.
And in 2022, he replaced Edouard Mendy (£3.6m) in the 120th minute with the Blues heading for another shootout against Liverpool at Wembley.
Kepa failed to save 11 consecutive spot-kicks and then blazed his effort over the bar to present the trophy to Jurgen Klopp’s men.
Naturally, this pair of mishaps hardly endeared him to the Stamford Bridge faithful – his general performances when called upon were disappointing too.
However, the 28-year-old’s current form is helping to build bridges.
This weekend he produced a highly impressive performance, making seven saves to frustrate Aston Villa and help his side to a 2-0 win in the midlands.
Mason Mount (£4.6m) scored a brace but it was Kepa who deservedly claimed the Star Man award, a reflection of arguably his best performance yet on English shores.
The former Athletic Bilbao custodian banked 13 Dream Team points at Villa Park to move his tally onto 37 overall, a total achieved in the space of just three Game Weeks.
His first returns came in the form of a 7+ rating against Crystal Palace in Game Week 8 and since then he’s contributed to clean sheets against Milan (home and away), Wolves and Villa.
Having racked up 37 points in the space of five games, Kepa is Dream Team’s most in-form asset in his position right now – he’s suddenly fifth in the rankings among keepers.
And this is notable because the Spain international currently has an ownership of just 1.7%.
Chelsea’s results have improved dramatically in recent weeks with Graham Potter imprinting his approach on the team to good effect – it’s now five wins in a row this month in all competitions.
There are several factors contributing to the Blues’ uplift and Kepa’s impressive form is undoubtedly included in that.
Mendy looked vulnerable at the start of the campaign before he picked up an injury and the Senegal international finds himself as second-choice now he’s regained fitness.
Dream Team gaffers would do well to consider Kepa as he’s very reasonably priced at £2.9m now he’s the starting keeper for a team on a winning streak.
Admittedly, games against Arsenal and Manchester City make November a daunting month for Potter’s troops but there could be plenty more returns to be had before then with Brentford, Man United, Red Bull Salzburg, Brighton and Dinamo Zagreb to play before they welcome the Gunners to west London.
Whisper it quietly but Kepa is finally starting to look like the expensive keeper he was expected to be from the get-go.
Most read in Dream Team
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
