Chelsea ace wins prestigious national award following sensational debut season at the Bridge

Chelsea ace Edouard Mendy has been named as the Senegalese Player of the Year

According to our official club website, Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy has been named the Senegalese Player of the Year for 2021.

The shot-stopper joined the club last summer from Rennes and has been in sensational form since then. He was pivotal in helping us lift the Champions League trophy in May as he kept a record nine clean sheets in his debut UCL campaign.

In doing so, he also became the first-ever African goalkeeper to win the competition. The Senegalese was named UEFA Goalkeeper of the Year before finishing 2nd in the Yashin trophy- an award handed at the Ballon d’Or ceremony to the best goalkeeper.

However, being named the best player in his country might trump all of this. In fact, he was the outstanding candidate to win the accolade as he got 321 votes, miles ahead of second-placed Liverpool’s Sadio Mane (99) and Watford’s Ismaila Sarr (61). It was no surprise since he has kept 36 clean sheets in 65 appearances for the Blues and has conceded only 42 goals.

More to come

This is just the start for the 29-year-old. He peaked late in his career but is now flourishing at one of the top clubs in Europe. The goalkeeper could also pick up the Premier League Golden Glove this season as he already has seven clean sheets to his name, only two away from Liverpool’s Alisson Becker (9).

Moreover, out of the 11 league goals he has conceded this season, four have been from the penalty spot. Thus, his record from open play is stellar, thanks to his quick reflexes and bravado in 1v1 situations.

His performance against Brentford earlier this season, in particular, was nothing short of heroic as he put his body on the line on several occasions to prevent the Bees from scoring. The Blues will feel his absence when he leaves for a month in January for the AFCON.

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Kepa Arrizabalaga has been decent when called upon but does not match up to Mendy. We are set to face Liverpool, Man City and Tottenham Hotspur next month, and Thomas Tuchel is sure to miss his starting goalkeeper. Hakim Ziyech shall also be travelling to the month-long tournament as he will be looking to help Morocco win the trophy.