It's Mendy vs Kepa vs a hard third- Bettinelli in the squad for Potter to choose from for the GK position. Who could take the mantle to maintain continuous clean sheets to start a winning streak more easily in this new "era"? When it should be pretty obvious that Bettinelli is merely a squad rotation player and could possibly be used for FA Cup and Carabao Cup, the real fight to sporting the number 1 shirt should be between KEPA AND MENDY. So let's just make it Kepa vs Mendy for #1.
KEPA ARIZZABALAGA
A really talented goalkeeper. A cult-hero really, solely responsible for our recent cup victories and trip to finals, to list a few- FIFA Club World Cup victory, UEFA Super Cup victory, Finals of FA CUP AND CARABAO CUP, Europa League two years prior. Yes he missed a penalty in the Carabao Cup but it happens to the best of them and he was just the GK. Having come to Chelsea from Athletic Bilbao on a record breaking fee, he set high expectations and pretty much held on to it for 2 seasons, after which he dipped- his mental health and confidence took a toll on him as well, as he encountered a lot of media hatred.
He has excellent agility and and an extraordinary attribute of diving along the length, better than Mendy which makes him better used in saving those crucial penalty kicks. His reactions might be a bit loose at times, but Kepa on his best form is a real beast. Recent performances have been decent but he could be even better when backed with a better defence. Thriving with 23 clean sheets on his debut season in the Premier League for Chelsea, he could very much return to his top form soon enough, given enough starts to increase his confidence.
Strengths
-Diving
-Reflexes
-Shot stopping from close range
-Punching the ball
Weaknesses
-Concentration
-Catching crosses(has improved now)
EDOUARD MENDY
An equally talented goalkeeper, and since joining Chelsea has enjoyed the #1 position under Tuchel and Lampard. Stepped up when Kepa was struggling and guided the team to the first UCL victory in 9 years. But was Mendy the only reason for all those victories?
If so, we wouldn't be having this argument right now. Recently, he has made several errors under pressure, costing 3 points in most games, and even got Tuchel sacked!(not really)
Is he better than Kepa? In certain aspects, certainly! But otherwise, a big no. And unluckily, those aspects have caused the recent dips in performances of the team as a whole as well. Mendy thrived in a back three system, delivering clean sheets after clean sheets. But, did he actually make saves to get them in many games? It wasn't needed. The defence was strong enough and backed him up. But now that the defence is new and they are still getting together and the system isn't working yet. A back 4 sees Mendy all the more vulnerable and he ain't that difficult to be crossed. As mentioned earlier, he doesn't dive along the lengths as good as Kepa and often, times the dives wrong as well.
Strengths
-Long shot stopper
-Jumping
-Can stop crosses midway
Weakness
-Penalties
-Poor distribution and passing
-Poor handling
In Conclusion
Even if this article was more critical towards Mendy, the point wasn't to make Mendy the second choice but to give Kepa fairer and equal opportunities with respect to game time and see who is ready to step up and grab the seats for taking. The managerial changes is pretty much a reset button for them and they can really use this to take the #1 shirt up for grabbing. The clock is ticking though, and both should show some responsibility and work harder than ever. In my opinion, Kepa is no less than Mendy. So a possible solution would be to play them in alternate games especially with games midweek and during weekends. This wouldn't break the rhythm in case they develop a form, nor would it get either of them tired. We could see Gaga Slonina in line to give these two some more competition in the next season, along with a few academy players even so it's safe to say the future is in safe hands.
PS : Know the difference between Criticism and hatred. One is toxic, the other isn't. Choose criticism and be the better person. At the end of the day, it's the players' lives and not ours. They know how to live it and don't need our help or guidance anyways. All the more so, no one cares if YOU hate them.
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