Kepa Arrizabalaga emerged as the unlikely hero for Chelsea as they claimed the UEFA Super Cup by defeating Villarreal 6-5 on penalties.
The Spaniard was subbed on minutes before the final whistle, and had mixed reactions from fans. However, Thomas Tuchel claimed that the decision was made using the data from previous games and it was pre-decided that Kepa would save penalties if there was a shootout.
Chelsea’s number 1 did more than enough to help his team to their first trophy of the season, denying Aissa Mandi and Raul Albiol in the shootout to help Chelsea win.
Hakim Ziyech opened the scoring for Chelsea after 27 minutes, netting home a cross from the left flank. However, his night would not last long as he sustained a painful shoulder injury and had to be subbed off for Christian Pulisic instantly. The Moroccan was seen with his arm in a sling following the game.
The Champions League winners were dominant for the first 30 minutes, and had several chances in both halves. However, Villareal grew into the game in the second period and Gerard Moreno helped the La Liga team score a well-deserved equaliser to send the match into extra time.
Christian Pulisic had a great opportunity in extra time to put Chelsea ahead once again, but his effort went wide. Sergio Asenjo also denied Mason Mount in the latter stages to keep the Europa League winners in the game.
However, despite saving Kai Havertz’s penalty in the shootout, Chelsea grew back into the shootout and ended their Super Cup curse by lifting the trophy in the end.
