There's been a theme running among Chelsea 's managers over the past two decades.
Appointment after appointment, it's been levelled at Blues bosses that they've inherited a team already built for them and used players who previous coaches first implemented to skip to quick success. Antonio Conte famously rekindled Jose Moruinho 's team to win the Premier League title in his first season, while Thomas Tuchel lifted the Champions League a mere four months after replacing Frank Lampard, who'd battled under a transfer embargo to keep Chelsea within the top tier of European football.
But Graham Potter, five weeks into the job, has already taken a player who his two predecessors didn't want and prompted a surprising resurgence. In his biggest decision since replacing Tuchel in the Stamford Bridge hot seat, Potter installed goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga as his No.1 instead of previous first-choice Edouard Mendy - and his faith has been rewarded.
Signed by Conte's successor, Maurizio Sarri, for a world-record £71million, Kepa's Chelsea career has been a rollercoaster. From refusing to come off during an infamous League Cup final in his first few months in west London, to dropping a string of clangers throughout Lampard's first term at the helm, it seemed like the Stamford Bridge faithful couldn't wait to get rid of him.
But upon Potter's arrival, the Spaniard was handed the chance to prove his doubters wrong. And, rather emphatically, the former Athletic Bilbao shot-stopper has done exactly that.
Although Mason Mount got the goals, Kepa also starred in Chelsea's 2-0 victory over Aston Villa on Sunday, ensuring that the Blues came away from Birmingham with all three points and fourth successive clean sheet. After Mount had given Chelsea an early lead in the sixth minute thanks to some calamitous defending from Villa centre-back Tyrone Mings, Kepa was called into action time after time.
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After a triple save earlier in the first 45 minutes, the 28-year-old was forced into producing a jaw-dropping intervention on the half-hour mark. Leon Bailey's threatening cross found Danny Ings, who thundered a header towards goal from close range. Yet somehow, Kepa managed to claw it away and send the ball over the crossbar.
Tallying seven saves at Villa Park, Kepa made sure that anyone who wasn't taking notice of his comeback form certainly is now. Potter's decision to drop Senegal 'keeper Mendy, who'd performed so admirably under both Lampard and Tuchel to help the Blues win three trophies since the joined from Rennes for £22m in 2020, was a bold one, but it's undoubtedly paying off.
After the game, Potter hailed the Spaniard as "world class, stating: "It was a world-class performance, especially in the first half. I'm really pleased for him, he has had a tough period for us at times but he contributed to the game."
It's now five wins on the spin for Potter, with Chelsea conceding just one goal during that fine run of form. Although it's hard to argue that there won't be another twist in Kepa's tale at Stamford Bridge, his performances since his new manager rocked up show all the right signs of a complete turnaround.
