Carabao Cup Final: Football World Remains in Uproar Over Thomas Tuchel Subbing Edouard Mendy for Kepa

• Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel's perplexing decision to sub Edouard Mendy off for Kepa Arrizabalaga continues to reverberate through world football
• The German put the Spaniard, renowned for his penalty saving abilities, on for the unbeatable Senegalese for the penalty shootout in the Carabao Cup final
• Embarrassingly, Kepa failed to stop a single kick, and most ironically, missed his kick as Liverpool claimed the trophy

Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel's decision to substitute goalkeeper Edouard Mendy for Kepa Arrizabalaga continues to leave observers scratching their heads in confusion.

With the Carabao Cup final tied at a tense 0-0 in extra time with penalties at hand, the German decided to replace the Senegalese netminder with the renowned Spanish spot-kick saver. Not only did the decision backfire Kepa failing to save a single Liverpool penalty, he poetically skied his kick to hand the Merseyside team the trophy.

Sports Brief readers across the continent were not impressed, say the least, with the decision.

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Itachimaru Zen said:

"Dumbest mistake by Tuchel. Mendy had a great game and had to finish it."

Ayodele Odugbesan said:

"[Kepa did] not even to catch one out of 9 penalties."

Deji Awoniyi said:

"And at the end, Kepa wasted Mendy's effort..."

David Mendy said:

"Mendy should have been left to take on penalties."

Miguel Jere said:

"We have lost but Mendy won my heart. Our coach was just stupid to substitute him with Kepa, who ruined all his hard earned effort. Foolish Thomas Tuchel."

Tuchel refused to blame Kepa, according to Sports Illustrated, saying:

"We feel bad for him, of course. It was a bit harsh that he was the guy to miss the one and only penalty but there is no blame."

"I take the decisions when I take the decisions and I can't re-judge them when I know the outcome."

There was an unshakeable sense of déjà vu about the debacle. The Guardian reported that Kepa refused to come off in extra-time of the 2019 final against Manchester City after suffering cramps, as per instruction by then-manager Mauricio Sarri.

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The match also ended 0-0 as Chelsea went on to lose that penalty shootout 4-3.

Carabao Cup Final: Chelsea 'keeper Edouard Mendy denies Sadio Mane with sensational double save, world in awe

Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy denied Liverpool midfielder Naby Keita and striker Sadio Mane with one of the saves of the year thus far.

As reported on Sports Brief, Mendy kept out his Senegalese teammate in the first half of the 2022 Carabao Cup final at Wembley Stadium in London.

The two had recently returned from the 2021 African Cup of Nations in Cameroon, where they were instrumental in leading the Lions of Teranga to a maiden title.