Chelsea’s Edouard Mendy is the fastest goalkeeper to win 10 blank sheets in the UEFA Champions League.
The Senegalese foreigner made a performance on Tuesday night as Les Bleus recorded a 1-0 win over FC Zenit Saint Petersburg at Stamford Bridge.
With the tie on point and the goal blank, the Belgian foreigner Romelu Lukaku scored the decisive goal in the 69th minute thanks to a hand from César Azpilicueta.
Mendy, skillfully through Azpilicueta, Andreas Christensen and Antonio Ruediger, took advantage of the handful of check chances created through the Blues-White-Sky Blues.
After preventing the Russian Premier League side from netting in England, the African star received his 10th shutout in his 13th appearance.
Only Costa Rican foreigner Keylor Navas has reached this mark in fewer games (11) of his time in the elite of Real Madrid.
The 29-year-old goalkeeper arrived from Ligue 1 side Rennes in a 22 million pound ($31 million) deal as England’s six-time top-flight kings sought stability between the sticks as costly mistakes crept into Kepa Arrizabalaga’s game.
Appreciating, he has proven to be one of his signatures, the Londoners win the Champions League and the European Super Cup.
In a recent verbal exchange with Goal, former Nigeria foreigner Dele Olorundare claimed that Chelsea’s Premier League naming ambitions rested largely on Mendy’s shoulders and not Lukaku’s.
“Even when Chelsea’s backline looks fragile, Mendy has shown elegance to pull the chestnut out of the fire. He explains why Arsenal didn’t score a goal despite many attempts,” Olorundare said.
“Personally, I think he’s the key person in their ambition to emerge as Premier League [champions] and Lukaku, as the guys are already saying.
“Without the Belgian, I still think the Blues have a way of scoring goals, but in the goalkeepers’ area. Even Kepa [Arrizabalaga] can’t do the brilliant job that Mendy is doing at the moment.
“Also, I think he [Mendy] doesn’t get the praise he deserves. He has a natural elegance and Chelsea are very fortunate to have him in their team.
Mendy is expected to have a purpose when Thomas Tuchel’s men take on Tottenham Hotspur in Sunday’s Premier League exit.