JUST ANOTHER MANIC MENDY
Tuchel edges the battle of the Thomases... but admits Blues are ’what we are’ as they strive to match City and Liverpool
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THOMAS TUCHEL is not about to make any apologies for Chelsea’s skin-of-the-teeth escape from the Brentford Community Stadium.
“We are what we are,” he said, after the European Champions held on against their newly-promoted neighbours despite Brentford throwing everything but the kitchen sink at them in a frantic final 20 minutes.
It was easy to leap immediately on the seven shots on target Frank’s side managed as Chelsea clung on. But in the cold light of morning, an even more impressive statistic emerges.
Eight games into the season, the Blues have still only conceded one goal from open play.
Throw in two penalties and even it out over a season and Tuchel’s side are on track to concede about 14 goals in their entire league campaign
While Liverpool and Manchester City have been rattling in goals in fives and sixes, that defending is the stuff of champions. “We are what we are,” reiterated Tuchel (below, on the bench).
“We try our best to create chances and it is not so easy to score or keep clean sheets.
“In general, Liverpool and Manchester City have proved throughout the last years they are the benchmark in terms of quality and consistency. They have shown us over the last years what it takes to be able to become champions.
“We have to improve in every aspect of the game and we will not stop trying to create more for our strikers.
“But that includes improving in defence as well as offence – because the game is a complex one. Against Brentford, we lacked a bit of position. Otherwise we had some half chances.
“It is maybe the same song we have been singing for many, many weeks. But we put a lot of effort into every part of the game.”
Mainly on Saturday evening, though, that effort went into backs-to-the-wall defending. The woodwork, Edouard Mendy, the woodwork and Mendy combined… all went in to keeping Brentford at bay.
When even that did not work, Trevoh Chalobah was there to clear off the line.
With Malang Sarr also making his
Premier League debut, it was a very patchedup looking Chelsea defence – although it held firm for Ben Chilwell’s piledriver (below) on the stroke of half-time to prove the winner.
Yet it was mainly about Mendy, whose series of brave and athletic saves showed the value he has brought for a relative snip of £22million.
His giant presence in the flurry of bodies bouncing around the six-yard box is reminiscent of the club legend Tuchel has to thank for Mendy being there. “Credit to the club and to Petr
Cech who saw the potential in this guy,” said
Tuchel (left).
“When we arrived, I found
Kepa, Edou and
Willy Caballero and even Petr was training with them for the first half a year.
“It was a fantastic, competitive group of keepers and coaches and Petr Cech helping them in every session.”
A few more displays like this and Cech might be persuaded it is safe for him to hang up his head guard for good.