Lost amid all the hand-wringing about Morata, Chelsea, life, love, liberty, and the pursuit of Premier League happiness, was the lights out performance from a certain Thibaut Courtois, who gave up two goals but also made four saves, one better than the other.
There was nothing Courtois could’ve done against Wilshere’s lucky blast and Bellerin’s cracker from distance, and in fairness, there probably wasn’t anything he should’ve been able to do against Alexis’s chance in the first-half either. But somehow Courtois got a strong hand to the Arsenal man’s point-blank effort, pushing it onto his right-hand post.
Incredible, world class reaction save from Thibaut Courtois. Part of the reason why he's earned the most clean sheets in the league. #CFC pic.twitter.com/OQkpdbeGXb
— Chelsea GIFs (@ChelseaGIFs) January 3, 2018
The save was not done yet however; it needed good awareness from the Chelsea goalkeeper to turn around and find it again after the all rebounded off the left-hand side post as well! Unlucky for Alexis; fantastic from Courtois!
Here is the full sequence, again.
What a save this was from Thibaut Courtois. He quickly reacted to Sanchez's shot, pushing it onto the near post and it ricocheted off the far post before he collected it. Close. 0-0 #CFC pic.twitter.com/HGnsC29CQE
— Chelsea GIFs (@ChelseaGIFs) January 3, 2018
A worthy entry into the Encyclopædia Thibautica.
Previous Encyclopædia Thibautica entries:
VOLUME I:
.1: David Nugent (Leicester City)
.2: Kevin Mirallas (Everton)
.3: Adam Lallana (Liverpool)
.4: triple save (Hull City)
VOLUME II:
.1: James Morrison (WBA)
.2: Ander Herrera (Manchester United)
VOLUME III:
.1: Divock Origi (Liverpool)
.2: Patrick van Aanholt (Sunderland)
VOLUME IV:
.0: Granit Xhaka (Arsenal)
.1: kick saves (AS Roma)
.2: Alexis Sánchez (Arsenal)