"I enjoy this pressure" – Chelsea arrival eating up criticism and loving Blues fans

Penders has settled quickly at Chelsea after an early mistake, producing a brilliant save against Manchester United and embracing the pressure of Premier League football.

Chelsea goalkeeper Mike Penders has made a striking start to his Premier League career. After punching the ball into his own net against Tottenham in his debut, the 21-year-old Belgian faced intense criticism but responded with a man-of-the-match display against Manchester United, including a remarkable late save to deny Bryan Mbeumo and preserve Chelsea's 2-0 lead.

In an interview with Play Sports, Penders reflected on the whirlwind week. "The criticism here is on a different scale," he said of the reaction to his Tottenham error. "I stayed calm, because these things can happen and they will happen again. I already had it in my head that I wanted to respond against Liverpool." He added: "I actually enjoy this pressure. It just makes you a bit better and sharper."

Penders' route to the first team was unexpected. He returned from a loan at Strasbourg hoping to compete with Robert Sánchez, but Chelsea's signing of Emiliano Martínez pushed him further down the pecking order. When Martínez suffered an injury, Penders seized his chance. His performances have already drawn comparisons to Thibaut Courtois, another Belgian who impressed at Stamford Bridge, which Penders views positively.