Strasbourg secured an away win yesterday against Slovan Bratislava, and Chelsea should be delighted that loanee Mike Penders is playing in Europe this season.
On Thursday, French outfit Strasbourg recorded a 2-1 victory against Slovakian club Slovan Bratislava in the league phase of the Conference League. Of course, it’s a competition that Chelsea know well after beating Real Betis in last season’s final to win the trophy.
Blues goalkeeper Mike Penders, 20, is currently on a season-long loan with sister club Strasbourg. The same goes for Mamadou Sarr and Kendry Paez, too.
Chelsea are delighted with the development of Penders during his first couple of months in France as the number one gloveman for Strasbourg. In fact, Blues co-owner Behdad Eghbali has been in attendance to see him impress between the sticks.
French media impressed by Mike Penders display
Chelsea loanee Penders just delivered an important performance to help Strasbourg secure three points in the Conference League. In fact, the 20-year-old shot-stopper earned praise in the French media for his individual contribution on Thursday evening.
After Strasbourg’s win against Slovan Bratislava, Maxifoot wrote: “Mike Penders (7): Starting for this trip to Slovakia, the Belgian goalkeeper was there. Confident in his aerial displays, he also made two decisive saves in the second half, notably against Ignatenko. His responsiveness allowed Racing to leave with all three points.”
Penders, who Chelsea view as their future number one, looks the part for Strasbourg right now, both in Europe and Ligue 1.
The Belgian keeper has made eight appearances across all competitions so far this campaign for Liam Rosenior’s side, keeping three clean sheets
Mike Penders statistics vs Slovan Bratislava
Penders was called into action late on for Strasbourg in midweek, producing a few vital saves to preserve the away win in Europe.
| Minutes played | Goals conceded | Saves | Accurate passes | Accurate long balls | Aerial duels won | Match rating |
| 90 | 1 | 4 | 58/64 (91%) | 7/13 (54%) | 1/1 (100% | 6.9 |
As you can see above, the Chelsea loanee is pretty incredible with the ball at his feet. His role in the Strasbourg system allows him to have plenty of possession, where he can show off his composure and range of passing.
If he continues developing at this rate, Blues supporters may start to call for him to become their starting goalkeeper in the near future. It is a problem position at Stamford Bridge because of Robert Sanchez’s inconsistent form, so perhaps Penders may be the solution at some stage.
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