January wasn't an easy month for Chelsea. Thomas Tuchel's side faced Liverpool, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League, while also taking on Spurs over two legs in the Carabao Cup semi-final.
And for four of those matches, they were without their number one goalkeeper, Edouard Mendy. The Senegal international flew out to the Africa Cup of Nations after the pulsating 2-2 draw against Liverpool on January 2 and there was a void to fill. So in stepped the world's most expensive goalkeeper.
That is a tag that has, at times, weighed heavily on the shoulders of Kepa Arrizabalaga, who signed with Chelsea in the summer of 2018 for a record £71.6 million. His first season at Stamford Bridge was solid; there were few errors but one rather high-profile incident in the Carabao Cup final when he substituted.
