With Maurizio Sarri reportedly undecided on whether or not he will start Kepa against Tottenham, the FC crew weigh in on what the Chelsea manager should do.
From another Lionel Messi masterpiece to a dramatic and bizarre Carabao Cup final, here’s how Europe’s top clubs fared at the weekend.
Manchester City have successfully defended their Carabao Cup title, defeating Chelsea 4-3 on penalties in a thrilling final at Wembley.
Manchester City retained the Carabao Cup after Raheem Sterling capped off a dramatic penalty shootout with the winning strike.
Raheem Sterling scores the winning penalty in a shootout as Manchester City win the Carabao Cup over Chelsea.
Carabao Cup: Sergio Aguero (109′) Chelsea 0-0 Manchester City MANCHESTER, England — Raheem Sterling showed his strength of character by taking the winning penalty in Manchester City’s Carabao Cup victory over Chelsea, according to Pep Guardiola.
The England international was City’s fifth penalty taker after Sunday’s Wembley final finished goalless, and the City boss compared Sterling to an NBA star, who is prepared to take the clutch shot in a tight game.
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ESPN+ is America’s home for a host of professional soccer leagues from around the world, highlighted by Italy’s Serie A, Major League Soccer, UEFA Nations League and English FA Cup. |
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Welcome to the 2018 FC 100
ESPN FC’s experts ranked the best men’s players and managers in world football. Check out the list.
How Mourinho unravelled at Man United
Fear, paranoia, difficult behaviour and constant battling with club officials and players led to the inevitable, writes Rob Dawson.
The greatest game never played
When Boca Juniors and River Plate were set to meet in Argentina’s most important match, Buenos Aires lost its mind, writes Wright Thompson.
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“I admire the fact that, in Sunday’s situation, he took responsibility,” Guardiola told a news conference…
It feels weird to start not with a game itself but with an attempted substitution that never came to pass, but this was the big talking point of the European weekend and there’s no escaping it.
I’m talking, of course, about the end of extra time in the Carabao Cup final between Chelsea and Manchester City. It’s easy to get lost in the minutiae and the speculation but there is one over-riding fact we do know: Kepa Arrizabalaga refused to come off the pitch when his number was called.
He offered…
From another Lionel Messi masterpiece to a dramatic and bizarre Carabao Cup final, here’s how Europe’s top clubs fared at the weekend.
The Exploding Heads bring you all the best bits from an action-packed Premier League and Carabao Cup weekend in a convenient 90-second (plus stoppages) package.
If the world’s most expensive goalkeeper, Kepa Arrizabalaga, starts for Chelsea against Spurs on Wednesday, it will confirm what we have long suspected about player power at Stamford Bridge.
Let’s be quite clear about this. Kepa is lucky that his contract was not torn up after openly defying his manager Maurizio Sarri and refusing to be substituted in the Carabao Cup final against Manchester City. Those of us who have been watching football for half a century have never seen anything like it….
Shaka Hislop believes the incident between Kepa and Maurizio Sarri is evidence of endemic issues within Chelsea’s coaching staff and dressing room.
From another Lionel Messi masterpiece to a dramatic and bizarre Carabao Cup final, here’s how Europe’s top clubs fared at the weekend.
The FC panel answer your tweets on how Diego Simeone would have reacted to Kepa’s defiance, how Gareth Bale fits in at Real Madrid and more.
Gab Marcotti isn’t buying Maurizio Sarri’s explanation that he simply had a ‘misunderstanding’ with his goalkeeper in Chelsea’s cup final defeat.
Kepa Arrizabalaga has been fined one week’s wages for his refusal to be substituted during the Chelsea’s Carabao Cup final loss to Manchester City, the club have confirmed.
Chelsea head coach Maurizio Sarri was left enraged on the Wembley touchline when Kepa, having twice received treatment on the pitch during extra time, angrily waved away the Italian’s attempt to replace him with Willy Caballero.
Editors’ Picks
Watch on ESPN networks in the U.S.
ESPN+ is America’s home for a host of professional soccer leagues from around the world, highlighted by Italy’s Serie A, Major League Soccer, UEFA Nations League and English FA Cup. |
ESPN+ schedule
Welcome to the 2018 FC 100
ESPN FC’s experts ranked the best men’s players and managers in world football. Check out the list.
How Mourinho unravelled at Man United
Fear, paranoia, difficult behaviour and constant battling with club officials and players led to the inevitable, writes Rob Dawson.
The greatest game never played
When Boca Juniors and River Plate were set to meet in Argentina’s most important match, Buenos Aires lost its mind, writes Wright Thompson.
– Follow Transfer Talk LIVE
– Fantasy: Set lineups, check scores!
Both men played down the incident as a “misunderstanding” after the match, but in a follow-up statement…
ESPN FC’s Craig Burley delves into the disarray at Chelsea after goalkeeper Kepa refused to be subbed off in extra time against Man City.
ESPN FC’s Craig Burley delves into the disarray at Chelsea after goalkeeper Kepa refused to be subbed off in extra time against Man City.
Manchester City retained the Carabao Cup after Raheem Sterling capped off a dramatic penalty shootout with the winning strike.
Manchester City have successfully defended their Carabao Cup title, defeating Chelsea 4-3 on penalties in a thrilling final at Wembley.
Gab Marcotti isn’t buying Maurizio Sarri’s explanation that he simply had a ‘misunderstanding’ with his goalkeeper in Chelsea’s cup final defeat.
ESPN FC’s Mark Ogden calls Maurizio Sarri’s control of the dressing room into question after goalkeeper Kepa refused to be subbed off against Man City.
ESPN FC’s Steve Nicol believes Maurizio Sarri’s dramatic reaction to Kepa was worse than the player’s initial refusal to leave the pitch.
Maurizio Sarri explains why his decision to sub out Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa led to a standoff at the end of extra time in the Carabao Cup final.
As you might have heard, Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga caused a *minor* scene at the tail end of Sunday’s Carabao Cup final defeat to Manchester City by refusing to the substituted in the closing minutes of extra time.
After going down injured twice in the space of a few minutes, Kepa was ordered to be replaced by Willy Caballero in the 119th minute of the match by Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri — an order the 24-year-old keeper duly refused.
Kepa — who later insisted he was merely “misunderstood”…
Gab Marcotti isn’t buying Maurizio Sarri’s explanation that he simply had a ‘misunderstanding’ with his goalkeeper in Chelsea’s cup final defeat.
Manchester City have successfully defended their Carabao Cup title, defeating Chelsea 4-3 on penalties in a thrilling final at Wembley.
Maurizio Sarri explains why his decision to sub out Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa led to a standoff at the end of extra time in the Carabao Cup final.
ESPN FC’s Craig Burley delves into the disarray at Chelsea after goalkeeper Kepa refused to be subbed off in extra time against Man City.
ESPN FC’s Craig Burley delves into the disarray at Chelsea after goalkeeper Kepa refused to be subbed off in extra time against Man City.
LONDON — David Luiz insisted Maurizio Sarri retains the respect of the Chelsea dressing room despite Kepa Arrizabalaga’s public refusal to be substituted during the Carabao Cup final defeat against Manchester City on Sunday.
Kepa angrily waved away the attempts of Sarri and his staff to replace him with Willy Caballero in the final seconds of extra time at Wembley, enraging his head coach and overshadowing an impressive Chelsea performance with what many interpreted as a showing of public…
Maurizio Sarri explains why his decision to sub out Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa led to a standoff at the end of extra time in the Carabao Cup final.