Tuchel backs Mendy despite poor showing against West Ham

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By Martin Graham | 4th Sep 2022

Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel has sent out a message to Edouard Mendy after the goalkeeper produced an erratic display in the Blues’ 2-1 win over West Ham. The German tactician claims the Senegalese shotstopper has been unlucky in recent times.

Mendy remained stuck on his goalline from a West Ham corner, as Chelsea fell behind after Michail Antonio pounced on a goalmouth scramble to put the visitors ahead at the time.

However, substitutes Ben Chilwell and Kai Havertz did well to score a goal late on to give the Blues a comeback in the game.

The game still had more drama in stuck though and Mendy was once again involved. The Chelsea goalkeeper came off the line to stop Maxwell Cornet but fluffed his timing and the West Ham star fired home from close range with a right-foot finish.

Luckily for the Blues, referee Andy Madley was told by VAR to have another look at the goal, and eventually ruled that Mendy was fouled by Jarrod Bowen in the build-up.

West Ham manager David Moyes was enraged at that decision and labelled it a ‘scandalous’ one, while accusing Mendy of feigning injury. However, Tuchel insists his goalkeeper was in a lot of pain after the clash with Bowen.

Tuchel defends Mendy after erratic showing against West Ham

Chelsea were lucky to go home with all three points and Tuchel was quick to defend his out-of-form goalkeeper.

“He was in a lot of pain, and we have to see. It’s too early to comment on that,” Tuchel said post-match.

“I think at the moment he is a bit unlucky in what he is doing. In training, he is fantastic, and he is, in general, a very calm and self-reflective guy who is aware that he lacks a little bit of luck at the moment.

“Things do not go in his favour. If he has maybe a situation where his action isn’t 100 per cent clear, he gets punished for it massively.

“He is just in this moment, and it feels like it’s not so much his fault. I have the feeling because he tries everything, he is very calm and focused. We will keep on supporting him.”

Despite eventually clinching a much-needed victory, Chelsea toiled for long periods at Stamford Bridge, and Tuchel will hope the arrival of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang provides an attacking spark.

Aubameyang was in the stands at Stamford Bridge and is set to begin training with the Blues imminently, though Tuchel is unsure when he will be able to play after sustaining a jaw injury when his home was invaded by burglars.

“He trains tomorrow, but I cannot tell you if he trains with full contact or individually,” Tuchel revealed.

“We’ll need to see. He has the [protective] mask, and the doctors tell me the mask is good and he feels comfortable with it.

“So he would be okay, but we need to check it, and we need to check it with no contact, half-contact, and then full contact.

“We need to see how he feels about it. It’s too early to make a prediction, but he’ll be in training tomorrow morning, and we’ll see.”