Kepa's girlfriend sends message to Chelsea fans after Carabao Cup final nightmare

Kepa Arrizabalaga’s girlfriend has launched a passionate defence of the Chelsea goalkeeper following the role he played in Sunday’s Carabao Cup final defeat against Liverpool.

The Spain international was left out of the starting line-up by Thomas Tuchel but was introduced as a late subsittute in extra-time, in a pre-planned moved designed to give his side the best possible chance of prevailing in a penalty shootout.

Tuchel’s decision backfired spectacularly, however, with Kepa failing to save any of Liverpool’s 11 spot kicks, before blasting the decisive penalty into orbit and gifting Jurgen Klopp’s side the first domestic silverware of the season.

Chelsea’s former record signing had gone some way to restoring his reputation in recent weeks having struggled to justify the £72million fee the Blues shelled out for him in the summer of 2018.

Sunday’s Wembley disaster, however, has seen the 26-year-old attract criticism from pundits and fans alike, but his current partner, former Miss Universe Spain winner Andrea Martinez, has taken to social media to criticise the casting of him as a ‘villain’.

‘One of the things I’ve learnt when I was a basketball player was that a team is always a team,’ the 29-year-old wrote on Instagram.

‘There are no heroes, there are no villains.

‘In my personal opinion this is a very unfair situation and I’m not just talking about today. Real supporters must show the love today, not just when we win.

‘Kepa we are so proud of you, as a goalkeeper and even more as a person. Humble, brilliant, kind, generous, intelligent, hard worker, talented and the most beautiful soul I’ve ever met.

‘This is just the small line of a huge book. Let’s go my boy, let’s go guys. Love you.’

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