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Chelsea keep, sell or loan ahead of 2022/23: Goalkeepers

By ROSHAAN KAPOOR

LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 26: Kepa Arrizabalaga of Chelsea celebrate during the Carabao Cup Round of 16 match between Chelsea and Southampton at Stamford Bridge on October 26, 2021 in London, England. (Photo by Sebastian Frej/MB Media/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 26: Kepa Arrizabalaga of Chelsea celebrate during the Carabao Cup Round of 16 match between Chelsea and Southampton at Stamford Bridge on October 26, 2021 in London, England. (Photo by Sebastian Frej/MB Media/Getty Images) /
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LONDON, ENGLAND – JANUARY 02: Edouard Mendy of Chelsea during the Premier League match between Chelsea and Liverpool at Stamford Bridge on January 2, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – JANUARY 02: Edouard Mendy of Chelsea during the Premier League match between Chelsea and Liverpool at Stamford Bridge on January 2, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images) /

The goalkeeping department at Chelsea had a great 2021/22 season all things considered. Apart from the first three goalkeeping choices of Edouard Mendy, Kepa Arrizabalaga and Marcus Bettinelli, other goalkeepers in the Blues’ set-up—like Nathan Baxter and Jamie Cumming—will also be judged in the first installment of this series. Lucas Bergstrom has already gone on loan to League Two side Peterborough United for the 2022/23 campaign, so he will not feature.

Here is how the remaining five goalkeepers should spend the upcoming season:

1. Edouard Mendy

The Senegalese international had another successful seasonas he collected multiple medals at both the club and international levels. In total, Mendy managed to keep 23 clean sheets in 49 appearances across all competitions with the Blues, including both the cup finals at Wembley Stadium. In the very first game of the season, Mendy shared the spotlight with Arrizabalaga in the UEFA Super Cup as he was substituted just before the end of the extra time, keeping in mind the penalty shootouts. The gamble from Tuchel paid off as Arrizabalaga went on to make two decisive saves from the spot to win Chelsea its second Super Cup title.

Mendy went on to put on some world class displays throughout the campaign. The most notable came at Brentford, when the away side’s slim 1-0 lead was on the line. The best of his six saves that day came in stoppage time when Mendy showed incredible agility and reflexes to fingertip a bicycle kick over the crossbar. That save was so good that it made the shortlist for the Premier League’s Save of the Season.

By the time the season had concluded, Mendy had already picked up FIFA’s Best Goalkeeper award, as well as finished as the runner-up in the Yashin award at the Ballon d’Or Ceremony. Not long after, Mendy went on to help Senegal lift the African Cup of Nations and a week later, the Club World Cup title for Chelsea at Abu Dhabi. Unfortunately, no further honors were to be won as the Blues narrowly lost out on two trophies to Liverpool in both the FA Cup and EFL Cup final in penalty shootouts. Now, when it comes to Mendy, he is a firm favourite for the starting spot as the Chelsea goalkeeper and his contract runs until the summer of 2025. Expect him to be a long servant for the club seeing as he just turned 30 in March.

Verdict: Keep

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