MY ACCOUNT
Thomas Tuchel could opt to take Edouard Mendy out of the firing line for Chelsea’s Champions League opener against Dinamo Zagreb tonight.
With games coming thick and fast ahead of a first ever mid-season World Cup, the German tactician will rotate his stars whenever possible.
And Mendy, 30, is one player who has not enjoyed the best of starts to the season, despite some fine saves.
He gifted Leeds a goal as the Blues were hammered 3-0 at Elland Road, was beaten at his near post by Harvey Barnes during the 2-1 win over Leicester and was blasted by David Moyes for his role in West Ham’s last-gasp equaliser being disallowed last weekend.
With Saturday’s London derby at Fulham next on the menu after this evening’s European jaunt, we turn the spotlight on Mendy and explore whether it may be time for Kepa Arrizabalaga — still the world’s most expensive keeper — to step in for a few games.
Costly mistakes
Having conceded nine goals in his last five games, Mendy’s recent record contrasts wildly from his early form at Chelsea.
When the Senegal international arrived in September 2020, Kepa was struggling to live up to his price tag, so it was no surprise he came in and quickly became Frank Lampard’s No1.
But with Lampard long gone and the Spaniard still at the club, current boss Tuchel now has somewhat of a selection dilemma on his hands.
Africa Cup of Nations winner Mendy’s blushes were spared by VAR against West Ham — much to the fury of everyone connected to the Hammers.
Replays showed that Jarrod Bowen’s trailing foot grazed the Chelsea keeper as he tried to jump over him, resulting in a soft foul for the hosts.
Moyes was fuming at full-time and did not hold back on his scathing assessment of Mendy’s decision to stay down.
The Scot said: “I actually think the goalkeeper dives. He is faking an injury because he cannot get to the next one, he did the same on the first goal as well.
“The referee somehow gets that so wrong it is incredible.”
As you would expect, Tuchel defended his man. He said: “He was as in a lot of pain and we have to see. It’s too early to comment on that.”
Whether the Senegalese star was actually hurt remains unclear. But if he continues to make costly mistakes, his manager will have little choice but to pull him out of the limelight.
Battle of the keepers
When 27-year-old Kepa arrived from Spain in August 2018, there was a feeling he could develop into one of the world’s best — but his stint in London has been underwhelming.
Minimal game time over the last 12 months reportedly prompted him to seek a move from Stamford Bridge earlier this summer.
But Tuchel refused to let him go, suggesting Kepa could feature on a more regular basis this term.
The Blues boss said: “Yeah, he tried [to leave], he tried, he checked his options, which we were aware of. They were not satisfying for him, for us, so he stayed.
“I’m very happy about that. I was always very clear to him that I’d love him to stay. And in my point of view, he’s absolutely ready to play.”
Chelsea’s keepers have similar records in the Premier League but the current incumbent has slightly more impressive numbers than his team-mate.
Kepa has conceded more goals and kept fewer clean sheets, suggesting Mendy has had the bigger impact.
Not short of quality
Both keepers have been guilty of mistakes during their time at Stamford Bridge — but you cannot overlook the fact they have talent to spare.
Mendy helped his side become kings of Europe in 2020-21, conceding just three goals in 12 Champions League games and keeping nine clean sheets — more than any other keeper in the competition.
And do not forget that Kepa kept seven clean sheets as the Blues won the Europa League in 2018-19.
Tuchel has suggested that confidence is a key factor in keepers performing well and he will consider this when picking his team over the coming weeks.
He said: “It’s a very sensitive position in football in general. Not everything is about pure quality and decision making, it’s also about the feel, that you feel the confidence.
“He [Mendy] at the moment gets punished a lot for not a lot that he does wrong. We have two fantastic goalkeepers, two fantastic guys.”
While Mendy clearly has Tuchel’s full support, there can be no doubt the pressure is on following Chelsea’s inconsistent start to the season and the amount of money the club’s new owners splashed during the transfer window.
If the former Rennes man does not get back to consistently being a safe pair of hands, he could find he trades places with Kepa more often than he would like.
