Alonso stands by Penders after Tottenham loss
Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso has thrown his support behind young goalkeeper Mike Penders after an own goal contributed to a 2-0 home defeat against Tottenham on Saturday.
The 21 year old Belgian goalkeeper was making his first Premier League start at Stamford Bridge. The mistake happened in the 77th minute when he punched the ball into his own net from a corner.
Chelsea then suffered another setback when Cole Palmer was sent off after receiving a second yellow card. Mathys Tel wrapped up the victory for Tottenham with an 87th minute goal.
The result marked only the second time Chelsea have lost to Spurs at home in the Premier League era.
Blues squad rallies around young players
Despite the mistake, Alonso confirmed that Penders will retain his place and start Wednesday's Carabao Cup fourth round clash away at Liverpool.
Speaking after the game, Alonso emphasized that making errors is part of the job and said the team wins and loses together. He explained that everyone at the club keeps confidence in Penders and supports him alongside Geo Quenda, who was also making his first Premier League start.
Defender Maxence Lacroix echoed those sentiments. Lacroix pointed out that Penders is a young goalkeeper with a lot of talent who will learn from this experience. He stated that everyone makes mistakes in life and football, adding that the squad will be behind Penders as he helps the team this season.
Looking ahead to the Liverpool match, Lacroix stated that Chelsea want to go far in the competition. He mentioned that the team needs to work on specific details to be stronger in key moments and produce the reaction of a competitor. Following the cup fixture, Chelsea will face struggling Manchester United in the Premier League on Saturday.
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