Chelsea fans, are we tired of the Édouard Mendy disrespect?
Far too often we see rival fans downplay the importance of the Senegalese goalkeeper and question his impact for the defensive turnaround during Chelsea’s campaign last season.
“Mendy is a stop-gap replacement for Kepa'', “Mendy is not that great in goal”, “Mendy is not Chelsea standard”.
These are just a few of the comments rendered by fans in recent times. Chelsea fans have also echoed these judgments prior to his arrival and prior to the departure of former Chelsea boss Frank Lampard. The sweet Champions League victory and record-equalling number of clean sheets forced the majority to eat their words.
You’d need to go back to 2016 to find the last goalkeeper to keep 9 clean sheets in a Champions League campaign. Prior to Mendy, Keylor Navas confidently held this record. Santiago Canizares was the last person to hold this same record of most clean sheets in a single campaign. Mendy becomes the latest addition amongst the competition's most elite goalkeepers.
Édouard Mendy has been nothing short of a blessing for Chelsea during their 2020/21 campaign. Following the woes of Kepa Arrizabalaga, another goalkeeper was at the top of the list for the Blues last summer; not just for the sake of results but for the sake of the fans and their relationship with the Spaniard. The success of Mendy has actually mended the relationship between Kepa and the fans. There has been less focus on the dark times shared with Kepa and more light shed on the positive moments created by Mendy.
An infectious smile for the first African goalkeeper to keep a clean sheet in a Champions League Final. We all know the story behind Mendy’s come up. Once in dire need of a job in 2014, now Chelsea’s number 1 shot-stopper.
“If someone had said to me six years ago when I didn’t have a club that I would end up here, I wouldn’t have even bothered looking at or listening to them,” said Mendy.
He added: “I did genuinely have my doubts about whether I would carry on. But I look at it now and say that it’s thanks to those moments that I am where I am today”
The saga leading to his success story in itself is admirable, but let’s get down to the nitty-gritty.
When we speak of the best goalkeepers of recent times, we hear the names of Thibaut Courtois, Jan Oblak, Keylor Navas, Alisson Becker, Manuel Neuer… the list can go on. However, a name that had been left out of conversations last season was Édouard Mendy’s. In comparison to all of the keepers named above, Mendy has put up some rather convincing stats to name him amongst the best.
Playing 45 games last season, out of the aforementioned names he had conceded the least goals (30). On top of that, his save percentage (75.7) ranks high amongst the world's greatest. So why is he overlooked when the debates begin? The extent to which he is underrated absolutely baffles me.
The reasoning behind his exclusion all points to the fact that Chelsea’s defence has improved hence the illusion that he has improved too. Weird if you ask me.
Thomas Tuchel has built a fortress in front of the goal. In the direct sight of Mendy, Chelsea have three center backs in Tuchel’s system who have all stepped up the ante when it comes to the standards expected from the backline. With only 87 saves in all competitions last season, I guess it gives fans the audacity to assume that the majority of the work was done by the solidity of the defence.
Can a solid defence take away from a goalkeeper's excellence? Take a look at Gianluigi Buffon. The year he came so close to winning the UEFA Men's player of the year award in 2017. Beaten to it by none other than Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
If we compare his stats from that season in particular to Mendy’s you’ll find that there is not much of a difference. In fact, the numbers are quite similar.
Goals Against Buffon - 30
Goals Against Mendy - 31
Shots Saved Buffon - 90
Shots Saved Mendy - 87
Save Percentage Buffon - 74.6%
Save Percentage Mendy - 75.7%
Comparing these numbers, it is madness to believe that these players are not of the same calibre. The only difference is opinion. The opinion that in 2017, Buffon was considered to be amongst the greatest names in goalkeeping for that season but Mendy is still yet to be recognised.
If we take the sentiment out of the debate and we take the season that just went in isolation, it will be difficult to take Mendy’s name out of the equation. Though he has not yet reached the status of a Manuel Neuer or an Alisson Becker, he deserves to be amongst the names of the best Goalkeepers in Europe at the moment.
He is undoubtedly, if not the best, one of the best going into the 2021/22 campaign, so let’s talk about it.
Do you think Mendy is underrated? Follow our new CareFreeChelsea Writer/Presenter Anita Abayomi on Twitter to get involved in the discussion and give us your thoughts in the comments section below.
