Alonso backs Penders to recover from nightmare Chelsea fumble

Xabi Alonso and Maxence Lacroix rallied around Mike Penders following the goalkeeper's error in Chelsea's loss to Tottenham.

Chelsea went down 2-0 at Stamford Bridge, where Cole Palmer saw red.

Palmer's dismissal came just after Penders, who was making his first Premier League start due to Emiliano Martinez's absence, scored a calamitous own goal when he punched a corner back over his own line.

Lacroix tried to stop it getting over the line, but could not do so, and Chelsea's defeat was rounded off when Mathys Tel scored late on.

Penders became just the second Chelsea goalkeeper to score an own goal in a Premier League match, after Petr Cech against Everton in December 2009.

At the age of 21 years and 85 days, the Belgian became the second-youngest goalkeeper to net a Premier League own goal, after Illan Meslier (20 years and 354 days) for Leeds United against Wolves in February 2021.

Alonso has backed Penders to regain his confidence, though. The Chelsea boss said: "It's part of the business; you need to deal with mistakes and we keep confidence in Mike.

"We win and we lose together and it's part of the job to deal with mistakes, myself as well as everyone.

"We support Mike and Geo [Quenda] as well, the guys starting their first [Premier League] games. He will want to prove he can do better, and we also have to show that."

Lacroix added: "He is a young goalkeeper and he has a lot of talent. He will learn from this. This can happen in football careers and in life.

"Everyone makes mistakes, and we have to be with him and we are going to be with him. We are behind him. He will help us this season and now we have to help him."

Penders is set to start again when Chelsea face Liverpool in the EFL Cup on Wednesday.