There was a change between the posts for Thomas Tuchel’s Blues on Sunday but the end result remained the same as it has done for the past two games – a clean sheet and three points for Chelsea.
With Edouard Mendy missing Sunday’s London derby victory over Tottenham through injury, there was a return to the side for Kepa Arrizabalaga and the Spanish keeper made a number of important saves as part of a solid foundation that led to our 3-0 win.
Second-half strikes from Thiago Silva, N’Golo Kante and Toni Rudiger ensured the points would return to Stamford Bridge and Kepa was pleased to play his part in a crucial Premier League victory.
‘I’m very pleased,’ said Kepa when reflecting on the win at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. ‘It was a very important three points for us.
‘It was a London derby, so we knew it was a big game against a very good team, so to get the win was fantastic and we are all so happy.
‘We did a much better job in the second half than in the first, but we did what we needed to win the game and we are all happy with the three points.
‘The manager made changes at half-time and I think that shows how good our squad is. We have the ability to change a few things up, bring in new players and it still works for us.
‘This is very important, for all players to be ready. We have a lot of games to play during the season, across many competitions so it is very important for our players to be ready for the team.’
The Spaniard was brought into the side after Mendy was unable to shake off a knock he suffered late on against Zenit St Petersburg in midweek and Kepa labelled his return to action as ‘perfect’, with a clean sheet and three points to show for his efforts.
‘I was really happy to help the team,’ the goalkeeper added.
‘It’s been quite a while since I played in the Premier League, so I was happy for the opportunity to help the team. To come into the side in such a big game like this, a London derby, and to keep a clean sheet and get the three points, it’s perfect really!
‘Edou and I have a very good relationship. We are training together every day and support each other whoever is playing.
‘You could see in the Super Cup the relationship we have, he was one of the first players to congratulate me after the penalty shoot-out and of course we celebrated together. Hopefully he can return to training soon from his injury.’