Mike Penders of Chelsea
Photo by Lewis Storey CFC/Chelsea FC via Getty Images
All eyes were on Mike Penders during Chelsea’s Carabao Cup tie against Liverpool at Anfield on Wednesday night.
Penders came in for quite a bit of criticism following his side’s 2-0 loss to Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League last weekend. It was the young goalkeeper who gave Spurs the lead that day after punching the ball into the back of the net.
Unfortunately, Penders could not pay Chelsea back by being the hero in their penalty shoot-out defeat to Liverpool at Anfield. While the 21-year-old was able to make one save, Xabi Alonso’s side still went on to lose after Wesley Fofana missed the crucial kick.
Can you remember a worse performance than Wesley Fofana's vs Liverpool? Tell us your ratings in the comments 👇
I’d play a 3421 with Rogers & Estevao behind Emegha against Man U. I’d rather give Subuloye his debut than see Fofana again
Fofana MUST leave Chelsea club IMMEDIATELY. He must NOT play for Chelsea again Alonso MUST start giving Estevao enough playing times in 4:2:3:1 & 4:3:3 Formation
Fofana had an awful night after also giving away a penalty in normal time, while his compatriot Malo Gusto did not cover himself in glory either. When Gusto was subbed off, some Chelsea fans cheered, showing how unpopular he is right now.
Penders still had a good game, though, even if he could not inspire the Blues to victory. His stats seem to suggest that the Belgian has bounced back and not let his error against Tottenham consume him.
According to Sofascore, Penders made three saves in total. Two saves were from shots inside the box, while he also made one high claim.
His passing could have been more accurate. Penders completed just 19 of his 35 passes, giving him a 54% pass success rate. Penders only completed three out of 19 long balls, giving him a low long ball accuracy (16%) as well.
When he was called into action, though, he was ready and made some important saves. It means Penders can move on from his Tottenham nightmare. He has to, Chelsea have another big game coming up.
The Blues face Michael Carrick’s struggling Manchester United side this Saturday. They will be expected to win given the form the Red Devils are in.