Carabao Cup Final: Kepa Arrizabalaga Squabbles With Furious Maurizio Sarri Over Botched Substitution Seconds Before Penalty Shoot-Out (Photo & Video)

Chris Wright

24th, February 2019

2 Comments

Embed from Getty Images

After a fairly nondescript opening 119 minutes, the Carabao Cup final finally came alive just as it was heading into penalties – and in the most laughable manner imaginable.

With full-time approaching, Kepa Arrizabalaga went down with “cramp” twice in the space of a couple of minutes. So visibly afflicted was the Spanish ‘keeper that Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri tried to substitute him for Willy Caballero.

However, realising that he was in danger of missing the shootout, Kepa made a miraculous recovery and declared himself fit to continue.

The substitution was then aborted as a heady mix of indignation and abject confusion spread among the Chelsea dugout, with Sarri furious at being so publicly undermined by one of his players.

Poor old Willy was then forced to return to the bench as Sarri continued to hurl ire at Kepa before (temporarily) huffing off down the tunnel.

Once things had simmered down, Kepa remained on the field only to drop a bollock with one of two of City’s penalties as Pep Guardiola’s side emerged victorious at Wembley.

This doesn’t exactly bode well for Chelsea, and you feel like it’s the manager who is likely to pay for the inadequacies of his players… again.