Joe Cole gives verdict on Edouard Mendy after 'freak' West Ham winner

Joe Cole has leapt to the defence of Edouard Mendy after the Chelsea goalkeeper’s error-strewn performance in Saturday’s 3-2 defeat to West Ham.

The Senegal international unusually had a day to forget as he directly contributed to two of the Hammers’ goals at the London Stadium.

Thiago Silva had put Thomas Tuchel’s side in front when he headed in Mason Mount’s corner, but Mendy brought down Jarrod Bowen in the box to give away a penalty following a loose backpass from Jorginho.

Manuel Lanzini dispatched the spot-kick from 12 yards, however, the home side weren’t on level terms for long as Mount produced a sublime volley to regain the lead for Chelsea.

Bowen’s powerful strike in the second half made it 2-2, before Mendy failed to keep out a bizarre floated cross from Arthur Masuaku which left the goalkeeper sprawling.

While on punditry duty for BT Sport, Chelsea hero Cole was quick to defend Mendy for conceding the ‘freak’ winner as he highlighted the 29-year-old’s previous strong performance for the Blues.

‘Mendy was at fault for the penalty,’ said Cole.

On Masuaku’s winner, he added: ‘That is a freak of a goal. You can’t blame him [Mendy], he’s been outstanding for such a long time.

‘Goalkeepers are human beings, not robots. I think it did take a little deflection.

‘Freak of a goal, and it would take something like that to beat this Chelsea team – a world-class goal or something like that out of the ordinary.’

Fellow BT Sport pundit Rio Ferdinand also stated his belief that there was ‘no way’ Masuaku meant to dispatch the ball into the back of the net like he did.

‘The run is what makes it from [Michail] Antonio, gets in that little yard,’ said the United legend.

‘It’s a cross definitely, he doesn’t catch it right.

‘There’s no way he comes out of that changing room and speaks to us here and tries to tell us he meant that – not a chance. But he’ll take it.’

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