Tuchel reveals why Kepa was started vs. Arsenal

Chelsea on Wednesday hosted rivals, Arsenal in the Premier League at Stamford.

The games saw Chelsea coach give Kepa Arrizabalaga a nod to start in the match against the Gunners.

The match went on to end in a 1-0 defeat to the Blues as a result of an error from Jorginho.

The Italian midfielder made a woeful back pass to Kepa which almost rolled into the empty Chelsea net with Kepa clawing the ball off the line.

But the loose ball met Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang who teed up Emile Smith Rowe to score for the visiting Gunners after 16 minutes.

Following the Blues defeat, coach Thomas Tuchel has revealed why he started Kepa for the match.

According to Tuchel, he said Kepa was given the chance to have a feel ahead of the clash at Wembley this Saturday in the FA Cup final vs. Leicester City.

“We thought it was a good idea to give him the game before,” Tuchel told a press conference.

“Because first of all we trust him and he deserves [it]. That is the basis for why we put him in the line-up,” he added.

Kepa has started in every match for Chelsea in the FA Cup and it would be right to let him start in the final vs. the Foxes.