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The dying moments of extra time in Sunday’s Carabao Cup between Chelsea and Manchester City descended into farce as Kepa Arrizabalaga refused to be substituted at Wembley.
After 90 minutes ended goalless, Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa went down injured as penalties approached.
He seemed to be suffering from cramp but in an extraordinary episode, the 24-year-old defied a furious Mauriziao Sarri and refused to make way for Willy Caballero.
Maurizio Sarri was left fuming after Kepa Arrizabalaga refused to be substituted at Wembley
The 24-year-old went down, seemingly suffering cramp, during extra time vs Manchester City
The goalkeeper defied his manager’s wishes in the dying moments of the Carabao Cup final
Willy Caballero was stripped and ready to come on, only for Kepa to hold his ground on Sunday
Sarri exploded after the goalkeeper refused to come off, throwing something at his bench
Confusion abounded at Wembley, as Chelsea tried to make the substitution and Kepa attempted to reassure his bench he was fit to play on.
‘The last thing the players want now is this. It’s interesting what’s going to happen now,’ former Blues captain John Terry told Sky Sports afterwards.
‘He’s brought an awful lot of pressure on himself hasn’t he?’
Jamie Redknapp added: ‘I’ve never seen anything like this in football before, just incredible.
‘Caballero wants to come on, the manager wants to get him on. It’s a nightmare, this is boiling over now. Caballero is brilliant at penalties as well… I feel for Sarri there, I really do.’
He added: ‘You’ve got to come off. This is a complete lack of respect for the manager. I feel so bad for the manager… I’ve never seen it before. He’s done Sarri up like a “Kepa”!’
During a bizarre few minutes substitute keeper Caballero was left in limbo on the sidelines as his No 1 stood his ground, shaking his finger towards the bench and and an increasingly furious Sarri.
Sarri and Gianfranco Zola were among those left confused by the farcical scenes at Wembley
Kepa tried to reassure Chelsea bench that he could play on but they wanted to bring him off
Sarri made his way towards the tunnel before turning back and watching the final unfold
Eventually referee Jon Moss had to intervene, speaking to both Kepa and the Chelsea bench. But player power won out and Kepa stayed on the pitch.
The farcical scenes left Sarri apoplectic and at one point the Chelsea manager looked set to walk off the Wembley pitch.
After throwing something in anger on to his seat, the boss made his way towards the tunnel before turning back and watching the final few minutes unfold.
When Moss eventually blew for the end of extra-time, Kepa was kept out of Sarri’s way, with Antonio Rudiger and David Luiz among those who tried to calm the manager down.
The Chelsea goalkeeper did his best to prove his worth in the shootout, performing his fair share of histrionics in an attempt to put off City’s penalty takers.
He managed to keep out Leroy Sane’s spot-kick but he let Sergio Aguero’s weak penalty go underneath his body as City retained the trophy with a 4-3 shootout victory.
Caballero, who was all stripped and ready to play, was left perplexed during extra time
After staying on Kepa was unable to prevent Manchester City from winning the shootout
The defeat will do little to ease the pressure on Sarri, who is fighting for his job after a poor run of results.
‘If the manager wasn’t under so much pressure, it wouldn’t be the talking point it is. The board might think he’s been undermined by this. It could’ve happened if they were in a great run of form.
‘He hasn’t subconsciously done it as we lack of respect for the manager. But he’s got to. Unless he physically runs up and pulls him off the pitch. David Luiz tried, Zola tried, but the only thing you can do is stand on the pitch and say i’m not starting this game until he comes off. But how do you do that’.
City captain Vincent Kompany, meanwhile, said he had never seen anything like Kepa’s refusal to go off, but was glad not to face Willy Caballero in the shootout.
‘I know how good Willy is on penalties, when we won this competition against Liverpool he was tremendous, he won the penalties for us and it would be another mind game to be played,’ he told Sky Sports.
‘It didn’t happen and the confidence was there to score the penalties. Of course I’ve never seen it. I wish I could do it every now and then when I don’t want to get subbed off!’
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