Life cannot get much better for Edouard Mendy. In under 12 months, he has become: a Champions League winner - the first African keeper to do so; a Club World Cup champion; recognised as The Best FIFA Men's Goalkeeper for 2021; and lifted the Africa Cup of Nations with Senegal. That career-defining period just got better on Tuesday, qualifying for the World Cup in Qatar after a dramatic clash with Egypt.
It was of great irony the manner of Senegal's qualification mirrored the way they won AFCON in February. A win against Egypt on penalties with Mendy saving one and Sadio Mane slotting home the winning kick.
This was not a shootout of great quality, five penalties being missed, with several going wide of the target, including a wild effort by the usually precise Mohamed Salah in controversial circumstances, with the Liverpool star being illuminated by dozens of laser pens. Mendy's save from Mostafa Mohamed on the penultimate round of kicks proved vital in order for Mane to send his nation to Qatar at the end of this year.
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What Mendy's two crucial penalty saves at AFCON and in the World Cup qualifier does is pose a new question to Thomas Tuchel. Up until now, Tuchel has backed Kepa Arrizabalaga in the four shootouts Chelsea has been involved in since the German took charge in January 2021.
All four have come this season, winning the first three against Villarreal, Aston Villa and Southampton before Christmas. Losing the last against Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final when Arrizabalaga blasted the deciding penalty over the bar after all the outfield players had scored.
The logic behind sticking with Arrizabalaga was sound, not only before that final had he proven his value in shootouts this season, but tracking back to his first season at Chelsea he demonstrated a similar knack for saving penalties. In three shootouts that year against Spurs, Manchester City and Eintracht Frankfurt his influence swung the momentum in Chelsea's favour.
In comparison, Mendy's one shootout in a Chelsea shirt so far came in his debut against Spurs in the League Cup, saving none of Spurs' five kicks before Mason Mount had his final effort saved by Hugo Lloris.
"I take the decisions when I take the decisions. I only take them when I want to take them. I cannot rejudge my decision after the outcome," Thomas Tuchel said after the shootout defeat last month.
"We all don't know what would happen if we left Edou on the pitch. This is how it is so no blame on him, blame me. I am the guy who takes the decisions, sometimes it works out or not works out. This is the life of a football coach who does substitutions.
"Sometimes you bring on a player and he scores and sometimes you bring on a player and he makes a decisive mistake. This is what happens so no regrets. If you need to take the blame, take it on me and I take responsibility for that, of course."
Tuchel should feel little regret about this call. The decision to substitute Mendy with minutes left in extra time for Kepa was a strategy that had worked in the UEFA Super Cup back in August, and it was also a decision a majority of Chelsea fans had called for should the situation arise at Wembley.
What will be curious now for Tuchel is how he approaches the next shootout Chelsea face. There are two routes for this to happen for the rest of this season. In the most ridiculous of circumstances, Chelsea could face two penalty shootouts in the space of six days.
The second-leg against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu for the Champions League quarter-final and then the FA Cup semi-final against Crystal Palace at Wembley fall within a week of each other. There would still be the potential for shootouts should Chelsea progress further as hoped.
As much as Tuchel is someone obsessed with the data, the mental side of a pressurised shootout cannot be ignored. Mendy's recent confidence boosting saves for Senegal might spark a question in his mind over who he goes with.
Knowing football, do not be surprised if this theory quickly comes into practice as Chelsea chase down more silverware under Tuchel.
