Real Madrid player should not be starting right now

Almeria will feel hard done by their defeat at the hands of Real Madrid and they should. There were plenty of controversial decisions on the day but ultimately, Carlo Ancelotti's side did what they do best, and that is to find ways to win games of football. 2-0 down, most fans would have been happy to get a draw. But goals from Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Junior and Dani Carvajal sealed victory and all three points for Los Blancos.

There is one player whose performances have not been impressive for some time though. And at this point, he should not be starting games, when a better option is available.

It is none other than Kepa Arrizabalaga. The Spaniard is currently on loan at Real Madrid from Chelsea and to be fair to him, he had started the season quite well. His form has dipped in recent times though, while Andriy Lunin has been performing at a high level.

Kepa faced a lot of criticism for Almeria's second goal on the day, which was from way outside the box. Unfortunately, we have seen the Spaniard concede the same type of goal numerous times in the past at Chelsea. Yes, a goalkeeper can be unlucky on a few occasions, but at some point, you have to start raising questions. He perhaps should have stopped the opener as well.

Real Madrid player should not be starting right now

There had been talk of Real Madrid potentially signing Kepa on a permanent basis from Chelsea next summer. They have understandably faded away since then though.

One has to wonder whether Kepa struggles to perform at his highest level when the pressure is on. He did quite earlier in the season, when Lunin was completely out of the picture.

A short-term injury to Kepa did allow Lunin a run of games in the team and he did a fantastic job, putting his name back into Ancelotti's selection hat. And since returning, we have seen the Spaniard no longer perform at the level he was earlier on in the campaign.