Perhaps it was inevitable, given the record-breaking standards Edouard Mendy set, that they would be near-impossible to maintain.
The start of Chelsea’s Champions League campaign against Dinamo Zagreb on Tuesday is a timely reminder of those levels but also the at-times-unbeatable, unflappable last line of defence they could do with Mendy returning to.
Just six years after he was on the dole and thinking he had no future in football Mendy had risen remarkably up France’s football ladder to earn a 2020 move to Chelsea.
Edouard Mendy joined Chelsea in 2020 and was quickly considered a world-class goalkeeper
Signed to compete with Kepa Arrizabalaga, Mendy did much more than that, replacing him as first choice and bringing some much-needed order to a position that had become unsettled.
Mendy helped Chelsea win the Champions League in his first season, keeping a record-equalling nine clean sheets.
He was then voted goalkeeper of the year for 2021 by both UEFA and FIFA after keeping 27 shutouts and conceding just 34 goals in 51 games.
Mendy had been proposed to numerous clubs before joining Chelsea having emerged as statistically as one of the best keepers around.
Chelsea’s decision to sign him from Rennes was a triumph for recruiting cleverly over favouring reputation.
While the claims of Atletico Madrid’s established Jan Oblak were being pushed former technical and performance advisor Petr Cech, a man who knows a thing or two about playing goal for Chelsea and joining from Rennes, insisted Mendy was the better choice.
The decision to side with Cech paid off handsomely, especially given that Mendy, at £22million, cost a fraction of Oblak’s £110m buyout fee.
But the 30-year-old has since let errors slip into his game and they’re bringing consequences
Though Mendy is currently enduring a period of aura-denting, condensed-together slips which are coming with consequences.
Head coach Thomas Tuchel said: ‘Somebody sent me an interesting quote about Napoleon who asked his generals if that they should not only have the best quality but he needs also that they are lucky generals.
‘This is what you need also from leaders and from goalkeepers and that they have the kind of momentum that if they do a little mistake it’s not punished.
‘At the moment he gets punished a lot for not a lot, of what he does wrong.’
West Ham’s visit was a good example. Their goal came after Mendy pawed away a header but only to Declan Rice who teed up scorer Michail Antonio.
As he landed following his save, Mendy collided with Wesley Fofana and Marc Cucurella, leaving all three grounded and unable to prevent the goal.
Later Mendy attempted to bail Reece James out but in doing so, only pushed the ball out for Maxwell Cornet to score. VAR controversially let Chelsea off the hook but again Mendy was in the spotlight for his involvement.
Kepa Arrizabalaga has had to settle for a role on the bench but may be handed a fresh chance
Against Leicester Mendy produced a number of important saves in 10-man Chelsea’s win but was also fortunate Harvey Barnes’s header was chalked off after he was deemed to have fouled Chelsea’s goalkeeper to climb above him.
Against Leeds Mendy dawdled on the ball in the wrong place, at the wrong time allowing Brendan Aaronson to score.
Mendy has a new-look defence in front of him, no longer has his trusted source of support, Cech, around and should have plenty of credit in the bank but that may not be endless.
Waiting in the wings is Kepa, who remains after a rollercoaster time at Chelsea and not securing a summer move away.
On Saturday, he took on an impromptu coaching role on the bench, offering Kai Havertz some final words of advice before the German went on to score the winner.
But Tuchel, who wanted Kepa to stay, said: ‘He’s absolutely ready to play. So it’s on us if we give him the chance or not, it’s on us, but he is 100% ready how he behaves, how he trains is very, very good. There are no doubts in my mind.
Kai Havertz scored Chelsea’s late winner as they beat West Ham at Stamford Bridge
‘The situation is calm. We have two fantastic goalkeepers, two fantastic guys. We are aware of it that he [Mendy] is in that kind of situation but first we deal inside and then we tell you.’
Chelsea’s comeback, inspired by fellow sub Ben Chilwell who scored the equaliser then set up the winner, was creditable but papered over the cracks a little.
Their intensity was an issue until the changes and they had no option other than to go for it and they had further problems defending set pieces and creating chances.
Mendy returning to his assured best will at least ease any concerns Tuchel has in goal.
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