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LONDON (Reuters) – Frank Lampard said he was happy with goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga’s performance during the 3-1 win at Brighton and Hove Albion on Monday, but former Manchester United defender Gary Neville said he must ditch the Spaniard if Chelsea will contest the title.
Arrizabalaga became the world’s most expensive goalkeeper when he signed for Chelsea from Athletic Bilbao for 80 million euros (74 million pounds) in 2018, but has struggled to justify that huge fee.
He was to blame for Brighton’s draw on Monday, allowing a Leandro Trossard shot from outside the box to dodge him, though Reece James’s impressive goal 100 seconds later quickly diverted attention from his mistake.
Neville, who worked as an expert for Sky Sports, was far more ruthless in his assessment of Arrizabalaga than Lampard and suggested that the Chelsea manager should be too.
“You will not win the league with a goalkeeper who is letting in goals from outside his area, does not dominate his area, concedes from set pieces, it is not going to happen,” Neville said.
According to a statistic used by Sky Sports, Arrizabalaga’s error was the 19th time he has conceded a shot from outside the area since he arrived, more than any other goalkeeper in that period.
Lampard was asked if he was looking for a new goalkeeper before the deadline and his answer was not a resounding endorsement. “Not at the moment, but there are a few weeks until the end of the window. I’m very happy with Kepa. With the shot I’m not sure if he could have done better.”
“If we bring competition, then it is for competition. That is the nature of Chelsea.”
Neville suggested it was a must.
“A few years ago Liverpool was prevented from being a championship-winning team by not having a goalkeeper who could take them there, it’s a very harsh warning for Frank,” he said.
“He knows what he needs, he doesn’t like the keeper, he wants him out and he wants a new one. Frank knows he could get caught if he doesn’t win the league in two or three years, he’s spent £ 200 million.
“Pep did it, Klopp did it, Alex Ferguson did it. Every coach worth his salt must be tough, ruthless.”
(Reporting by Martyn Herman, Editing by Pritha Sarkar)
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