Edouard Mendy is set to start in goal for Chelsea against Liverpool in the FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium, Thomas Tuchel has hinted.
Mendy is set to start at Wembley despite Kepa being a Cup keeper. (Image:Getty)
Edouard Mendy played in the quarter-final and semi-final against Middlesbrough and Crystal Palace respectively and is set to start between the sticks against Liverpool on Saturday.
During his pre-match press conference, Tuchel was asked whether his side would be practising penalties and whether Kepa will be selected.
The question came following Tuchel’s decision to replace Edouard Mendy with Arrizabalaga in the Carabao Cup final against Liverpool back in January.
The decision which dramatically saw Chelsea lost the Cup final to Liverpool as the Spanish international failed to save any of Liverpool’s 11 penalties and missed his own spotkick.
And Tuchel was asked whether he would bring on Arrizabalaga for Mendy if FA Cup final goes to penalties.
He said: “I will not tell you. I have an opinion about it but I will not tell you. When it comes to it, you will see. Even if we decide like in the Carabao Cup before, if we have the chance we will do it.”
Will Tuchel bring on will Kepa Arrizabalaga for Mendy if FA Cup final goes to penalties?
“In approaching the match we always say let’s wait for the match and let’s see how the game goes, let’s see if we still have a change available. Let’s see how the match goes for Edou. It is never done before and it will not be done now. We have a plan for what we can do.”
SUBSTITUTING GOALKEEPERS
Tuchel is known at Chelsea for his order of substituting goalkeepers in penalty shootouts since his first Cup at the club.
Speaking after the Super Cup victory, Tuchel revealed Chelsea were prepared to bring on Kepa for Edouard, and it has been made known to everyone since his first Cup game.
“We talked about it with the goalkeepers before my first cup game against Barnsley.
We had some statistics that we prepared and they showed that Willy Caballero is the best in penalty defending and they analysed like a thousand penalties from Willy.”
‘Second best was Kepa and third best was Edou.
‘If we have a change left that we take this change not for personal reasons but to help the team, to improve the chances as we have this proof off statistic.”
But, it remains to be seen whether Tuchel will stay to such precedent by bringing on Arrizabalaga for Mendy if FA Cup final goes to penalties.
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