Why Kepa Arrizabalaga deserves to start for Chelsea in Club World Cup final despite Mendy's return

Chelsea will be aiming for their third trophy under Thomas Tuchel when they take on Palmeiras in the final of the FIFA Club World Cup on Saturday.

The Blues have never won the competition, having lost in the final a decade ago. Now, though, they have the chance to join an elite list of clubs that have won every major trophy.

They’ve been Premier League champions, won several domestic cups and came into the competition as European champions. But they’ve never been world champions.

The final will demand character from each player and the fact that Tuchel and Edouard Mendy have joined the squad is a huge boost for Chelsea. But despite the arrival of the latter, Kepa Arrizabalaga deserves to be in the post against Palmeiras.

A man on form

Arrizabalaga has been an able deputy to Mendy since the Senegalese came in a year ago and made the No.1 spot his own.

When Mendy traveled for the Africa Cup of Nations, some Chelsea fans were left panicking due to doubts over the Arrizabalaga’s quality. However, the Spaniard has so far won over his critics.

He has been one of the club’s best players in the last six weeks. In the eight matches that he has been in post, the Blues have only lost once and have kept four clean sheets in that period.

The 27-year-old is a man in form and one of the reasons why Chelsea made it to the final after producing several key saves against Al Hilal in the semifinals.

An unwritten rule in football is that managers should always play their best players and should never drop the players that are in form. Right now, Arrizabalaga ticks both boxes.

Kepa has earned the right to start for Chelsea

Not many players at Chelsea have been better than Arrizabalaga in the past month and a half, and that should count for something.

Mendy may be the club’s most trusted shot-stopper but the Spaniard has been the one holding down the fort in his absence and he has not disappointed at all. If anything, Arrizabalaga’s impressive performances have earned him the right to start against Palmeiras.

"We are very happy with both goalkeepers," the Blues' first-team coach Zsolt Low said ahead of the final, as quoted by Chelseafc.com.

"It's a good, comfortable situation to have two goalkeepers like this. When Edou couldn't be with the team, Kepa stepped up and brought big performances.

"Whoever sits on the bench has nothing to be worried or sad about. Both goalkeepers have had big performances in the last weeks, and that’s why it's just a decision for this game."

Chelsea are lucky to have two goalkeepers who are currently on top of their games and it wouldn’t be scandalous if Mendy starts on Saturday.

However, such a decision defeats the principles of meritocracy which, in all honesty, favors Arrizabalaga at the moment based on his form.