Are Chelsea’s Goalkeeping Problems Still Not Resolved?
One of the positions Chelsea have really excelled in during the Premier League era is at goalkeeper. Over the last two decades, Petr Cech and Thibaut Courtois have been amongst the best in the league and Europe.
Even going back to the 90s, Ed de Goey and Carlo Cudicini gave the Blues a safe pair of hands in goal. However, since Courtois moved to Real Madrid in 2018, they have struggled to settle on a player they feel confident in, despite spending a lot of money on Kepa Arrizabalaga and Edouard Mendy.
Chelsea still have work to do this season to qualify for the Champions League. They are 11/10 in the betting on football for a top-four finish. The club will be hoping whoever is chosen in goal over the next couple of months is able to produce the right kind of performances to help the club end the campaign strongly. Goalkeeping mistakes have cost them points in the past and they can’t afford many more this season.
When he took over from Frank Lampard back in January, Thomas Tuchel inherited a squad which included Kepa, Mendy and the experienced Willy Caballero. It remains to be seen if he feels the club currently has a goalkeeper he is confident he can trust or if he feels he needs to recruit his own player.
Chelsea Have Spent Big To Find Courtois’ Replacement
Chelsea fans thought the club had found their next great goalkeeper when Spanish international Kepa arrived from Athletic Bilbao for a record for his position. He made a decent start to his career in London, however, it became clear last season that he was not the right man for the role.
The club spent £22 million last summer to bring Edouard Mendy to Stamford Bridge from Rennes. Cech, a technical advisor at Chelsea now, played a big role in recruiting the Senegalese ‘keeper, who is now the number one at the club.
At times this season, Mendy has look assured, particularly under the management of Tuchel. However, there was a number of question marks about his performance during Chelsea’s 5-2 defeat at the hands of West Brom at Stamford Bridge.
After that defeat, Baggies boss Sam Allardyce said his side exploited Mendy’s weaknesses. Those comments should concern Tuchel and Chelsea fans. The former England boss had clearly spotted areas in the ‘keeper’s game which they could use to their advantage and that proved to be the case.
The next couple of months could be huge for Mendy and his future at Chelsea. If he ends the season well and proves why the club moved quickly to secure his services from Ligue 1, he is likely to remain as the number one next season. Another performance like the one he had against West Brom, and it may work against him.
If Chelsea do finish in the top four this season, it will give Tuchel a lot more options for next season when it comes to recruitment. He will want to build upon this talented squad to close the gap on the title contenders. If he is happy with what he has at the club in terms of goalkeepers, it will allow him to concentrate on other areas in which he can improve.
