Édouard Mendy was recruited at the end of September by Chelsea in Rennes and quickly won in the Blues cage. The goalkeeper continues the good performances and clean sheets (matches without conceding a goal) and banished the previous holder, Kepa Arrizabalaga, to the substitution bench. His coach, Frank Lampard, is completely happy with his Senegalese debut.
Six years ago, Édouard Mendy vegetated at a national level in France, near Cherbourg. Today he is a member of one of the biggest clubs in Europe, is undefeated in three Champions League matches despite his rookie status and joins the fight at the top of the English Premier League. It is an understatement to say that the course of the Senegalese international is atypical. As a 28-year-old, he received outstanding recognition at Chelsea.
Only two goals were conceded in nine matches
This Saturday, November 21, after the last international break in 2020, Chelsea, provisionally, took control of the English championship thanks to their silent victory against Newcastle (2-0). A fifth success in a row achieved thanks to some success (a goal against his camp by Federico Fernandez), efficiency (the goal for the break signed by Tammy Abraham) and the impenetrability of Edouard mendy.
The concierge did not live a particularly complicated afternoon. The Magpies did not really worry him, with only a shot on goal in 90 minutes. But it makes another match at the end of which Mendy keeps her clean sheet. In nine matches in all competitions, the Senegalese have remained undefeated seven times. Only David McGoldrick with Sheffield United (in the league) and Erik Lamela with Tottenham (in the league cup) managed to defeat his vigilance.
The most serious will claim that so far the Blues novice has not encountered much surface error in nine games: he delivered a great performance against a cador, Manchester United (with fantastic parades in front Marcus Rashford and Juan Mata, see in the video below 00’32, 1’00 and 1’42), as well as in Crystal Palace, Burnley and Newcastle in the Premier League, and Sevilla, Krasnodar and Rennes in the Champions League. The adversity will soon become more serious. But in statistics as in accounting and in the impression left, Édouard Mendy undoubtedly draws an excellent start with Chelsea.
“He showed the confidence we were looking for”
Shortly before the match against Newcastle, Frank Lampard spoke about these first steps by the one who wears No. 16. On Norwegian TV2, the Chelsea coach confirmed that it was on the advice of Petr Cech that he gave the green light for Edouard Mendy’s arrival. The former Czech goalkeeper, who himself passed through Rennes before joining Chelsea in 2004, had a hollow nose. Because with the Blues, we encountered big goalkeeper problems.
Kepa Arrizabalaga, was recruited in 2018 from Athletic Bilbao for 80 million euros (record amount for a goalkeeper), was a disappointment. The Spaniard, who succeeded Thibault Courtois in the skin of the main goalkeeper in Chelsea, did not cross a course in England. On the contrary, he multiplied the errors and the balls, to such an extent that the patience of the leaders and supporters ceased to be consumed. This summer, when rumors of Chelsea’s interest in Mendy began to hit the press, a significant fringe of fans were enthusiastic. The Senegalese were not very well known as other goalkeepers in Europe, but Kepa’s poor form was such that change was necessary in their eyes.
And then? Édouard Mendy was recruited for 24 million euros after a very good season in Brittany, and despite the new pressure on his shoulders, he took power within the London club. “I am very pleased with his debut and what he brings to the group,” said Frank Lampard about him. In early November, the former midfielder already praised the ex-Rennais. Lampard called his atypical career a “very good story” and exclaimed: “He showed his confidence in the goal and that was what we were looking for when we recruited him.” A way to also say how much it stuck between the coach and Kepa Arrizabalaga … The latter saw the competition surpass him quickly. And in the English press it is said that the Spaniard, disappointed, wants to pack up.
For Édouard Mendy, the following will be as important as the first two months. Eliminated from the title fight for three seasons, Chelsea need one last strong performance in the long run to satisfy their ambitions in the world’s most watched championship. After a brilliant start to the autumn, the story between the Blues and Mendy must also shine in the winter.
