Kepa Arrizabalaga opens up on the bizarre substitution situation 

What's the story?

Chelsea shot-stopper Kepa Arrizabalaga has cleared the air on the substitution incident that took place in the dying moments of the Carabao Cup final between Manchester City and Chelsea. The custodian claimed that at no time of the game did he intend to disobey his boss' orders.

In case you didn't know...

Kepa, owing to a hamstring strain, was a major doubt for the final game. However, he did start and make some smart stops, including the penalty from Leroy Sane.

After parrying away a Sergio Aguero strike, he appeared to have cramped up, which led to former Manchester City goalkeeper Willy Caballero strip off. But what followed was absolute chaos, as Kepa wagged his fingers signaling a no with a capital N to his coach.

He refused to come off, which, for obvious reasons, infuriated Maurizio Sarri.

The match though, ended in City's favor, as they held their nerve to clinch the trophy 4-3 on penalties. For Chelsea, Jorginho and David Luiz couldn't score from the spot.

The heart of the matter

Sarri cooled down the matter with a sense of maturity, claiming after the match:

“It was a misunderstanding, I heard there was a problem and we needed to change it. I realised the situation only when the doctor arrived on the bench after some minutes. It was a misunderstanding, I understood the goalkeeper had cramp and would be unable to go to the penalties.”

Later on, Chelsea's number 1 took to Instagram to express his views post-match. The Spaniard started off by explaining how gutted he was and then affirmed that he was clearly unhappy with the way the incident was exhibited to the fraternity.

He asserted:

“Upset and sad for not being able to take the title, we fought until the end against a great team. We will continue working to be stronger.

I would also like to clarify some facts of today’s match: First of all, I regret how the end of the match has been portrayed. At no time has it been my intention to disobey the coach or any of his decisions.

The gloveman continued:

"I think everything has been misunderstood in the heat of the final part of a match for a title. The coach thought I was not in a position to play on and my intention was to express that I was in good condition to continue helping the team, while the docs that had treated me arrived at the bench to give the message.

I feel the image that has been portrayed was not my intention. I have full respect for the coach and his authority.”

What's next?

Chelsea have no time to stop by for a break, as a home league fixture against bitter rivals Tottenham Hotspur awaits on 28 February. Having beaten just Huddersfield and Malom over two legs this month, the Blues will be aiming to head into March on a high.