As a youngster, he played in the French amateur leagues and struggled to find full-time employment before being thrown a lifeline in 2015. Mendy’s football career has been anything but conventional. It’s there now, and the stats don’t lie: 39 clean sheets in just 94 top-flight league appearances, records using deeper data being broken in his first Champions League campaign, and all by a player who came close to giving it all up just five years ago. Had it been there when he was struggling to get an opportunity to play football at higher levels, that opportunity may have come sooner. The Chelsea goalkeeper was immersed in the data being presented to him about his debut season at Stamford Bridge, and his enthusiasm for it makes sense. “There is no better way to convey reality, and it is great.” So the Chelsea goalkeeper spent an hour with The Analyst talking football, data and his truly unique and impressive rise ahead of the Champions League final. The next week has one headline, Tottenham.Édouard Mendy had some questions for us. The Chelsea head coach added: "I don't want to put pressure on us or lower expectations. It was a strange second half with 10 minutes extra time in the end, strange." Today, we had not enough movement on the ball, too many ball losses. "Players came in late pre-season was turbulent. "We are not on the highest level," Tuchel told Sky Sports. But Chelsea will need to improve in the week ahead with Tottenham Hotspur set to visit Stamford Bridge next Sunday. Three points and a winning start are some consolations. The anguish on the face of the England international was clear he wanted a debut goal. New signing Marc Cucurella, introduced late on and hugely assured, delivered the perfect low cross into the penalty area for Sterling, whose instinctive shot was deflected inches wide of Jordan Pickford's post. He did witness his side come close to finding a second goal, however. He is a man unable to hide his emotions and frequently throughout the contest, the Blues' head coach threw his arms into the air in frustration and complained to his coaching staff. Tuchel wasn't happy with much of Chelsea's display either. The look of anger he shot toward Mendy told its own story. Yet there was Silva, again in the right spot, to make a vital block. The Chelsea goalkeeper, perhaps still haunted by his mistakes of last season, was hesitant and Gray was able to collect and position himself to shoot. A raking pass forward momentarily highlighted the miles in the centre-back’s legs and he gestured frantically for Edouard Mendy to come and clear the ball. The Everton forward was frustrated by Silva in the second half too. In the opening period, with Everton on the counter and Silva faced with two opponents, he positioned himself expertly and waited for the perfect moment to intercept an attempted pass from Demarai Gray. Perhaps that is why he is always one step ahead of the rest of the players on the pitch. At 37 years old, the Brazilian has seen it all. READ MORE Thomas Tuchel confirms Marcos Alonso trying to leave Chelsea amid Barcelona interestĪnd let’s not overlook the performance of Thiago Silva the grandmaster of defending.
He was tripped, a spot-kick was awarded, and it proved Chelsea’s winner. Yet the Senegal international also played the best pass of the match to unlock the Everton backline and find Ben Chilwell. Inventive, composed, and demanding, Sterling brought so much the frontline has lacked over the last two years.Īt the opposite end, on the left of the Blues’ defence, Kalidou Koulibaly was dominant.
Raheem Sterling, who arrived in the summer from Man City for £47.5million, was the standout attacker. There were bright spots at Goodison Park, a stadium the Blues hadn't won at since 2017. But a victory on the opening day of the Premier League season is nothing to quibble about – even if it did only come courtesy of a Jorginho penalty. At least not based on the performance Thomas Tuchel’s side produced against Everton.
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