Chelsea manager Frank Lampard says it was ‘right time’ to drop goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga

Spaniard sat on bench for Leicester draw, while 38-year-old Willy Caballero started

Chelsea boss Frank Lampard has insisted Saturday was the right time to drop goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga.

The 25-year-old Spaniard was axed for Willy Caballero, 38, in the 2-2 draw at Leicester, and it was the first time Kepa had been left on the bench in the Premier League this term after a string of recent errors.

Chelsea have kept just five clean sheets in the league all season and Lampard felt it was time to act.

“You make decisions every week and every day in this job. No decision is easy,” he said. “When it comes to a goalkeeper, you probably do give it a little bit more thought and a bit more time, especially if someone seems to be the designated number one.

“That can’t be the end of the story. We have to be competitive. Willy trains well, he acts well and he played well against Hull last week. I decided to stick with him.”

Antonio Rudiger scored twice – his first goals since October 2018 – as fourth-placed Chelsea remained eight points behind Leicester in third.

Harvey Barnes and Ben Chilwell put the Foxes 2-1 ahead before Rudiger’s second, and boss Brendan Rodgers was left frustrated following the draw.

“We were a wee bit slow out of the blocks, but we grew into the game and created some really clear chances,” he said.

“In the second half we showed great personality to come from behind and by the end we’re disappointed not to have won it. It was a little bit frustrating by the end.

“If we couldn’t take the three points, take the point, so it’s two games against Chelsea where a team that have been in the top four, we’ve got two draws.

“The point I made to the players afterwards is, going forward, we want to be winning these games, and that’s a game that we should have won.”

PA