Kepa Arrizabalaga
From TheChels.info - The Chelsea Football Club Wiki
| Kepa Arrizabalaga | |
| |
| Full Name | Kepa Arrizabalaga Revuelta |
| Date of Birth | 3 October 1994 |
| Place of Birth | Ondarroa, Spain |
| Position | Goalkeeper |
| Chelsea career | 2018 – 2025 |
| Debut | 11 August 2018 |
| Games (goals) | 163 (0) |
| Other clubs | Basconia Athletic Club Ponferradina (loan) Valladolid (loan) Real Madrid (loan) Bournemouth (loan) Arsenal |
Kepa Arrizabalaga is a Spanish goalkeeper who played for Chelsea for five seasons - from the 2018-19 to the 2022-23. After spending two years on loan, he joined Arsenal in 2025.
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Before Chelsea
Kepa came through the youth academy at Athletic Bilbao, establishing himself as one of Spain’s most promising goalkeepers. After a loan to Ponferradina and Valladolid, he became Athletic’s first-choice in 2016–17 and impressed with his reflexes and composure. He also earned his first Spain cap in 2017. In August 2018, Chelsea triggered his release clause to replace Thibaut Courtois, making him the most expensive goalkeeper in football history at the time.
Chelsea career
2018–19 Season
Arrizabalaga was immediately installed as Chelsea’s No. 1 under Maurizio Sarri. He kept 14 clean sheets in the Premier League and played a key role in the club’s Europa League-winning campaign, including a semi-final penalty shootout win over Eintracht Frankfurt. However, his season was marred by controversy in the EFL Cup final, where he refused to be substituted before the penalty shootout, undermining Sarri and drawing heavy criticism. Despite the incident, he made 54 appearances and was solid in his first campaign overall.
2019–20 Season
Kepa’s form dipped notably under new manager Frank Lampard. His save percentage dropped to one of the lowest in the league, and questions emerged over his positioning and decision-making. He was dropped late in the season in favour of Willy Caballero, including for the FA Cup final. He still made 41 appearances but ended the season with concerns over his long-term suitability.
2020–21 Season
Chelsea signed Edouard Mendy in September 2020, relegating Kepa to a backup role. He played sparingly under both Lampard and Thomas Tuchel, though he appeared in domestic cup matches. He notably helped Chelsea win the UEFA Super Cup in 2021, coming on as a substitute and saving two penalties in the shootout against Villarreal. He also featured in the FA Cup and EFL Cup runs but was behind Mendy for the Champions League final, which Chelsea won.
2021–22 Season
Still Mendy’s understudy, Kepa started mainly in cup competitions. He helped Chelsea reach the EFL Cup final, but was brought on for the penalty shootout and failed to save a kick—then missed the decisive penalty himself. He did keep clean sheets in various domestic and European outings and appeared more confident in limited appearances, totaling 15 games.
2022–23 Season
With Mendy out of form and injured, Kepa regained his starting spot under Graham Potter and impressed with improved distribution and reflexes. He delivered several standout performances in the autumn, earning praise for his resurgence. However, inconsistency returned as the team struggled under successive managers, and his command of the box remained a weak point. He finished with 39 appearances in all competitions.
Loan spells and departure
In 2023–24, Kepa joined Real Madrid on loan following an injury to Thibaut Courtois. He began as first-choice but lost his place to Andriy Lunin midway through the season, finishing as a backup in Madrid’s Champions League-winning campaign.
In 2024–25, he was loaned to AFC Bournemouth, where he played regularly and regained some consistency with a solid Premier League season.
In the summer of 2025, Kepa left Chelsea permanently, signing for Arsenal in a low-cost move. After seven years, two major loan spells, and 163 appearances, his time at Stamford Bridge came to a quiet close.
Statistics
| Season | Prem | FA Cup | League Cup | Europe | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |
| 2018-19 | 36 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 54 | 0 |
| 2019-20 | 33 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 41 | 0 |
| 2020-21 | 7 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| 2021-22 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| 2022-23 | 29 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 39 | 0 |
| Total | 109 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 30 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 163 | 0 |
- Correct as of the end of the 2022-23 season
International
Kepa Arrizabalaga made his debut for Spain’s senior team in 2017. He was part of the squads for the 2018 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2020, serving mostly as a backup to David de Gea and later Unai Simón. While not a consistent starter, he earned several caps and remained in the national team rotation due to his strong club performances and shot-stopping ability.
Honours
- UEFA Europa League: 2018-19
- UEFA Champions League: 2020-21
- UEFA Super Cup: 2021
- FIFA Club World Cup: 2021
