CHELSEA will not be able to challenge for the Premier League title with Kepa Arrizabalaga in goal, says Jamie Carragher.
The Liverpool legend compared Frank Lampard’s current charges to the Reds during Jurgen Klopp’s first years at Anfield, when they struggled with Simon Mignolet and Loris Karius in goal.
And the Premier League champions dispatched Chelsea to the tune of a 5-3 scoreline on Wednesday.
As the Blues suffered their latest defensive disaster, Carragher took aim at Kepa and his defence.
He told Sky Sports: “Chelsea won’t go no further unless they change their goalkeeper.
“Going back to how important goalkeepers are I look at this Chelsea team and there’s a lot I like about it, it does remind me in a lot of ways the position Jurgen Klopp was in a couple of years ago.
“[Lampard] has done as much as he can, yes Frank’s still in his early stages but those big signings can completely transform you as a team.
“I still think Chelsea need a defender, you see how many goals they’ve conceded. I think a lot of that is down to the goalkeeper being totally honest.
“You see a lot of centre-halves at Chelsea without seeing one really outstanding one, those are the areas that if they are going to challenge Liverpool and Man City they’ll have to rectify in the summer.
“They are the worst team in the league defending corners. This is a massive problem for Chelsea.
“Yes, Werner is coming in and the lad from Ajax, there is talk of Havertz as well. It sounds great and it gets supporters excited but it means nothing if you don’t sort out that back three and certainly that goalkeeper.”
Chelsea paid a world record £71.6million fee to sign Kepa from Athletic Club in 2018.
Since then, the Spaniard has failed to live up to his billing and is responsible for eight per cent of the club’s all-time goals conceded in the Premier League.
One particularly embarrassing incident at Anfield saw Chelsea defenders cry out in vain for the goalkeeper to collect a late corner as it bounced to a Liverpool man at the far-post.
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Lampard dropped Kepa earlier in the season and is widely tipped to buy a new goalkeeper in the summer, having bought Timo Werner and Hakim Ziyech.
Atletico Madrid star Jan Oblak is thought to be a top target although he will likely cost his full £109m release clause.
Dean Henderson, Andre Onana, Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Ugurcan Cakir have also been linked.
