MX23RW : Friday, March 1 12:06:28
Feb 24, 2019 at 4.30pm UK at ​Wembley Stadium (London)
Attendance: 81,775
Chelsea
0-0
Man CityManchester City
FT
(aet)
Man City win 4-3 on penalties

Chelsea hand fine to Kepa Arrizabalaga, goalkeeper issues apology

Chelsea hand fine to Kepa Arrizabalaga
© Reuters
Chelsea announce that they have handed a one-week fine to Kepa Arrizabalaga after the goalkeeper refused to be substituted in the EFL Cup final.

Chelsea have announced that they have fined Kepa Arrizabalaga after the goalkeeper refused to be substituted towards the end of the EFL Cup final.

Kepa had twice gone down with cramp during the latter stages of Sunday's showdown with Manchester City, and Maurizio Sarri wanted to replace the Spaniard with Willy Caballero.

However, Kepa insisted that he was fine to continue and repeatedly refused to be replaced, and it left Sarri visibly angry on the touchline.

Both parties moved to put the incident down to a misunderstanding, but Chelsea have now revealed that Kepa has been fined a week's wages with the stopper issuing another apology.

The Spaniard said in a statement: "I was very happy to play in my first cup final for Chelsea yesterday and very proud of the team performance. I have thought a lot more about yesterday's events. Although there was a misunderstanding, on reflection, I made a big mistake with how I handled the situation.

"I wanted to take the time today to apologise fully and in person to the coach, to Willy, my teammates and to the club. I have done this and now I want to offer the same apology to the fans. I will learn from this episode and will accept any punishment or discipline the club decides is appropriate."

Sarri added: "Kepa and I have spoken about the incident. It was a good conversation. There was a misunderstanding yesterday but he realises he made a big mistake in the way he reacted. He has apologised to me, his teammates and the club.

"It is up to the club if they want to discipline him according to the club rules, but for me this matter is now closed. The team performance as a whole was extremely positive and it is a shame to see how this incident has overshadowed our efforts in what was a very competitive cup final. Everyone's focus is now on the next game and we must all now put this behind us."

Man City eventfully prevailed 4-3 in a penalty shootout.


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Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri tries to bring on Willy Caballero during the EFL Cup final against Manchester City on February 24, 2019
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Tables
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool28216164154969
2Manchester CityMan City28222475205568
3Tottenham HotspurSpurs28200855292660
4Arsenal28175660382256
5Manchester UnitedMan Utd28167555361955
6Chelsea27165647291853
7Wolverhampton WanderersWolves28117103535040
8Watford28117103940-140
9Everton28106123939036
10West Ham UnitedWest Ham28106123541-636
11Leicester CityLeicester28105133439-535
12Bournemouth28104143953-1434
13Newcastle UnitedNewcastle2887132634-831
14Crystal Palace2886143238-630
15Burnley2886143150-1930
16Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton2776142941-1227
17Southampton2869133046-1627
18Cardiff CityCardiff2874172555-3025
19Fulham2845192663-3717
20Huddersfield TownHuddersfield2835201550-3514

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