https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/article/
kepa-on-keeping-the-belief-and-his-world-cup-chances
Kepa on keeping the belief and his World Cup chances
29 Oct 2022
Ahead of our trip to Brighton & Hove Albion this afternoon, Kepa
Arrizabalaga has been discussing the mental strength he needed during
difficult times and the chances of capping his comeback with a place in
Spain's World Cup squad.
https://i.imgur.com/DFuxzBi.jpg
The 28-year-old is the only player to have started all nine matches under
Graham Potter, with just four goals conceded during that run and five
clean sheets earned.
As Potter prepares to return to his former club on the South Coast, Kepa
will have a pivotal role to play once again after many months of working
in the background as goalkeeping understudy.
'I think it's like in life a little bit,' he said this week. 'When I came
here I played all the games for the first two years, nearly 100 games, and
then I had 18 months or maybe two years where I played less.
https://i.imgur.com/1pwBeuU.jpg
'It's that moment where you have to believe in yourself in a good way,
keep working in silence when you're not playing, which is not easy, and
believe. Then when you have the opportunity, you have to take it. I had
not good moments but it's life and you have to keep working.
'I was working for a long time to get this opportunity to step in on the
pitch and show what I have inside. I'm really happy because of this
confidence and how I am feeling on the pitch with and without the ball.
It's positive for the team and for me.'
Kepa's return to the team and to a run of form has provided hope that he
might make the plane to Qatar next month for the World Cup, with
Brighton's fellow Spanish stopper Robert Sanchez providing competition.
Our number one makes no secret of his desire to make the cut but concedes
all he can focus on in the fortnight before Luis Enrique names his squad
is performing in Chelsea blue.
'Let's see,' he replied when asked about his international hopes. 'The
squad of Spain will be one of the last ones on 11 November. It's amazing
to be in the World Cup, the biggest competition you can play with the
national team, and everybody wants to be there.
https://i.imgur.com/lysMGrh.jpg
Kepa and Man United's David de Gea are vying for a goalkeeping spot in the
Spain squad
'We are doing the best we can and then the coach has to decide, but we'll
be ready.'
Club matters remain imperative in the meantime as we aim to finish
strongly in the final five matches before the winter break, a novelty that
makes this campaign unique, and Kepa gave an insight into how the players
were treating it.
'This season is quite different because the World Cup is in the middle and
it will be like two seasons in one,' he added. 'We are arriving at the
last games of the first season and we are there, we have chances in the
other competitions, but of course we have a way to improve.
'We have to take the ideas of the new manager and complement everything a
little bit more but now we have time to work a little bit more, to train
everybody together and be ready for December.'