Maurizio Sarri’s grip on his position as Chelsea’s head coach has been further loosened after Kepa Arrizabalaga appeared to undermine the Italian’s authority by refusing to be substituted before his team succumbed in a penalty shootout to Manchester City.
Sarri had attempted to replace Arrizabalaga, who had briefly gone down with cramp, with Willy Caballero as the final edged into the last minute of extra time only for the 24-year-old to protest when his number was raised by the fourth official. The world’s most expensive goalkeeper spoke with the Chelsea defender David Luiz but waved away calls from Sarri and his assistant, Gianfranco Zola, to leave the pitch while Caballero, who has a reputation as a penalty specialist, waited to be introduced.
The referee eventually spoke with the head coach on the sidelines before resuming play, with a livid Sarri flinging a water bottle into his seat in frustration, ripping his tracksuit top open, then storming toward the tunnel. He returned, still livid, seconds later to watch the last few moments of the goalless stalemate. Antonio Rüdiger seemed to restrain the Italian as he attempted to confront Arrizabalaga on the touchline as the teams prepared for the subsequent shootout, in which the goalkeeper saved from Leroy Sané but, critically, let a weak penalty from Sergio Agüero squirm under his body and in as Chelsea lost 4-3. Read more