Kepa the Hero as Chelsea Defeat Villarreal to Lift Super Cup

Duro Ikhazuagbewith agency report

Kepa Arrizabalaga was the unlikely hero last night as Chelsea defeated Villarreal 6-5 in penalty shootouts to win the UEFA Super Cup. The game tied at one-all after 120 minutes at Windsor Park in Belfast.

But Arrizabalaga who has lost his place as number one since joining the club for a world record fee for a goalkeeper in 2018, was introduced late in extra-time as a substitute for the shootout and saved from Aissa Mandi and Raul Albiol.

The Spanish club that defeated Manchester United to Win the Europa League last term deserved to have their hands on the trophy as their displayed belies the fact that Chelsea were the UEFA Champions League winners.

Villarreal were brilliant on the night.

However, it was the Blues with an excellent first-half performance that stormed into the lead when Hakim Ziyech opened the scoring for the midway through the opening 45 minutes. Ziyech was then forced off with what looked like a worrying shoulder injury before half-time.

The Spaniards hit the woodwork either side of the break before Gerard Moreno equalised in the 73rd minute to force extra time.

Chelsea, who look set to complete a deal to re-sign striker Romelu Lukaku for a club record fee of £97.5m from Inter Milan, failed to rediscover their first-half vigour in extra time but did come close to a winner through Christian Pulisic and Mason Mount.

It was the first time the Super Cup was played in Northern Ireland and 13,000 spectators generated a fantastic atmosphere in the south Belfast stadium, the highest attendance at any sports event in the country since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.