Maurizio Sarri welcomed Kepa Arrizabalaga back to the Chelsea first team yesterday but refused to confirm whether he will regain the No 1 spot.

Sarri was rewarded by his players for the bold decision to drop Arrizabalaga with a determined 2-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday, after the goalkeeper had refused to be taken off in last Sunday’s League Cup final defeat.

If reports were to be believed, defeat to Spurs would be the final nail in Sarri’s coffin. While the decision to drop the defiant stopper for Willy Caballero took nobody by surprise, it ensured the Italian won a small personal battle, demonstrating exactly who was in control.