Kepa Arrizabalaga's redemption masks Chelsea's attacking plight
By Sean Walsh
From Gtech Community Stadium - Kepa Arrizabalaga has almost singlehandedly saved Chelsea's skins for a second match running.
There's a sentence you never thought you'd read.
Chelsea's 2-0 win at Aston Villa largely came courtesy of their hosts gifting Mason Mount a brace on a plate (OK maybe he had to at least get that free-kick on target, but Emi Martinez won't have been happy watching it back). A highlight-reel performance from Kepa ensured the spotlight was kept on an already under pressure Steven Gerrard rather than the Blues' deficiencies in the final third.
It was a similar story in their 0-0 draw at Brentford on Wednesday evening. Chelsea hardly laid a glove on their hosts - who were less inclined to give up goals than Villa - until the final ten minutes, but even then the most they made were half chances.
Armando Broja made himself a nuisance, but was feeding off of scraps. Kai Havertz was way off the pace. Christian Pulisic, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Raheem Sterling all emerged from the bench but failed to get clear sights of goal.
At the other end, Brentford had much more open routes through, but Kepa continually stood tall to keep them out with saves and his imposing presence. Yeah, I know, right?
It was another showing fitting of the world's most expensive goalkeeper. If anything, this is the exact kind of reason why Chelsea bought him - to keep them from the brink of disaster and keep them in games on his own.
But the attacking malaise that's crept back into the fold is slightly alarming, particularly with such a packed and intense schedule they're in the midst of. Good defending isn't necessarily the reason for clean sheets and they lack that spark to dig them out of holes.
The good news is Graham Potter remains unbeaten as Blues boss. His winning streak comes to an end at five, but his unbeaten one has been extended to seven. At the very least, Aston Villa and Brentford didn't walk all over them, but they went toe-to-toe with the club world champions and expectations are much higher at Chelsea than at Brighton.
Kepa's comeback is one of the club's most heartwarming feel-good narratives of a topsy turvy season so far, but history has told us that relying on him is not a sustainable way of winning football matches. Potter, like Thomas Tuchel before him, still has work to do with his attackers to get them firing in a post-new manager bounce team.