Kepa: What we must do to beat Real
17 APR 2023
Speaking at Stamford Bridge the day before our stadium hosts a huge Champions League second-leg match, Kepa Arrizabalaga was quick to downplay the idea that the Chelsea team will need the performance of their lives to overturn a 2-0 deficit against Real Madrid.
However in detailing what will be required to make the semi-finals, our goalkeeper made it clear the players know an improvement is needed on what has gone before.
‘Obviously we need a better performance than we had in the Bernabeu,’ Kepa said. ‘We need to control better their counter-attacks, we need to spend better the time with the ball, we need to create more chances for sure. We need to score goals and we need to be more clinical in both penalty areas. I think this is going to be key.
‘It is not going to be easy but I don’t think we are going to need the performance of our lives. We need a good performance obviously, we need to play at our best, and we cannot over-think. We have to go step by step, we have to defend well, we have to attack well and do a great game.’
When questioned about whether there is a special plan to deal with Real’s winger Vinicius Junior, Kepa explained that concentrating too much on one player against opposition of the quality of the European champions opens up the prospect of other individuals hurting you, so the game plan needs to be more general.
‘We need to push to keep them in their own half, that is something we can work on for tomorrow,’ said the 28-year-old, who highlighted the second leg last season in the Spanish capital as a source of belief. That was when the Blues battled back from a 3-1 loss at the Bridge to be 10 minutes away from going through, before eventually going out 5-4 on aggregate.
‘After the first leg last season it seemed like a lost cause and in the second leg it was tough but we almost did it. We need to go step by step, not thinking about trying to win 4-0 but just doing things right.
‘Hopefully tomorrow we can involve all the fans, all of Stamford Bridge, by playing our best and make the atmosphere that we need in this game to go through. We have to do the right things from the beginning and push as much as we can.’
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Kepa on feeling at home at Chelsea and the penalties possibility
18 APR 2023
Prior to the weekend game against Brighton, Frank Lampard confirmed Kepa Arrizabalaga retains the first-choice goalkeeper status the player regained earlier in the season. In a sign of further backing, the caretaker manager handed him the captain’s armband for Saturday’s match.
Now ahead of the next game, versus Real Madrid tonight, it has been Kepa’s turn to talk about his involvement, and he is certainly not thinking back to when Lampard was previously head coach and Edouard Mendy became the more regular choice.
‘It was three years ago, it was a different situation. Everything is different. Now I am playing,’ Kepa said. ‘Frank came here again, he is our manager and he is taking his decision every game and when he picks me to be in the starting 11, I am trying to be my best.
‘It has been a very positive season for me personally,’ he adds. ‘I think the last two seasons I have played 15 games per season, now I am playing more. I am feeling well, I am feeling with confidence and I am enjoying it on the pitch.
‘Obviously the season in general is not the best one but personally I am happy with my season.’
Although he was beaten twice by Brighton in the 2-1 defeat on Saturday, Kepa did pull off several good saves. It is, he highlights, the best way rather than words to win over anyone with doubts.
‘The fans can have different opinions about different players – what I can do is deliver my best, work every day, try to perform in the best way and try to help the team. This is my job, this is what I am doing in the last five years. What I am doing is to try to do my best to win games, to win trophies, and to make this club a success.
‘It is my home for five years now,’ Kepa emphasised. ‘I am very happy to be here of course. I am feeling at home and I am enjoying this journey we had in the last few years.’
During his years at Chelsea, Kepa has built a strong reputation for saving penalties, a skill which might come in very handy tonight against Real Madrid. For once, the 28-year-old says a penalty shoot-out would be a favourable outcome given it means the Blues would have clawed back a two-goal deficit, but he says there has been no special practice for that eventuality by the potential penalty-takers.
‘We do not think too much about penalties for this game. We are focusing on many other areas we have to think about before it. If the game arrives at penalties then we are looking at everything and we know everything and I think we have good players in this area, but they are training during the weeks on penalties, not just these past two days.’
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以下內容出自 football.london：
Every word Kepa Arrizabalaga said on Todd Boehly, Chelsea comeback, Vinicius Jr and Real Madrid
By Scott Trotter, Chelsea writer - 17:30, 17 APR 2023
．Todd Boehly came into the dressing room after Brighton, report said he said the performance was 'embarrassing', how do you take that? What can Frank Lampard bring?
Hopefully tomorrow we can involve all the fans, all of Stamford Bridge, deliver our best and make a different atmosphere that we need to go through. It is not going to be easy. We have to go step by step and do the right thing in the beginning and push as much as we can. The other thing, Todd comes to the changing room in every game. He had different chats with us after different games. I am not going to say what he said but this is normal when he came to the changing room.
．The comments from Lampard after the first leg that you did not know how good Real Madrid were?
The squad that Real Madrid has, there's not much you can add. There's a lot of history and the history, they're the kings of it. I don't know what they can improve, what we can do to be surprised by Real Madrid. We know about them, their history, what we can do is looking at the first leg, closing down space, we weren't decisive enough in attack or defence, in both boxes we weren't decisive. That's what will make the difference.
．Do you still have your Champions League medal?
I have my medal in a good place at home. I am very happy to have that.
．How is belief in the squad, are you lacking confidence?
I don’t know about lacking confidence. Maybe we are not in our best shape. We are 11th in the league, ot is not a good season for us. What we have to do is believe until the end. In this stadium, Remontadas can happen. It happened before. We have to believe that will happen tomorrow. We have to deliver our best and try to do the right things, we need a big performance – not of our lives maybe, but a big performance.
．You spoke about closing down space, can you speak about Vinicius?
He is a player that is in great form. He is an amazing player, with space he is unstoppable. We left too much space behind for him. We were on the back foot, chasing him metres behind. We must push to keep them in their own half, it is something we can work on tomorrow. At this moment he is amazing, yeah.
．Special plan for him?
Obviously we have a plan, as a team. It is a team sport, it is not one player we are up against. We have to work as a team to stop Vinicius and all of the other players.
．A lot of change in squad, how has the group being at building chemistry?
It is true we have a lot of players. Maybe more than normal in the team. But I think it is not a question for me. What I can say is the atmosphere in the changing room, we are not happy, but the atmosphere is good. There is no fighting, nothing like this. We are trying to find a way to win the games. We had a lot of changes. We know that. We want to change the situation.
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戰績不好，媒體就開始炒作老闆進更衣室這件事，有夠無聊。
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