Edouard Mendy has a tough task ahead of him in the 2022-23 Premier League season, with the top clubs boasting fierce marksmen who can be a nightmare for any goalkeeper. Tottenham Hotspur have Harry Kane in their ranks, while both Manchester City and Liverpool have brought in reinforcements in the form of Erling Haaland and Darwin Nunez respectively.
However, Chelsea's shot-stopper is not losing any sleep over the new arrivals and is confident that he will be prepared enough to prove himself equal to the task.
What did Edouard Mendy say about facing Erling Haaland?
Chelsea's first clash with Manchester City next season will take place in January 2023. Before that, Mendy will be travelling to Qatar to take part in the 2022 World Cup with Senegal.
However, since Norway have not qualified for the marquee event, Haaland will remain fresh and will look to fire on all cylinders once the Premier League restarts post the World Cup break.
Mendy is ready for the challenge and will not give the Norwegian any extra attention for all the bells and whistles.
"I study. I study a lot. It’s not about one striker or one team - we just have to focus on every striker, every team we play to win. It’s not because it’s Haaland," he stated.
“I look at Haaland like I look at, say, Benteke at Palace - it’s not that different between Crystal Palace and City. You have to be focused because he is a striker and he can score. We have our methods and I don’t need to say what they are. But I study a lot. A lot."
What did Edouard Mendy say about Sadio Mane's transfer to Bayern Munich?
Sadio Mane has left the Premier League to move to Bayern Munich for €32 million (£27m/$34m), with a further €6m (£5m/$6m) available based on appearances and €3m depending on individual and team achievements.
Mendy happens to be a pretty close friend of Mane and believes that the winger's departure is a big loss to the Premier League.
"We’ve lost someone great and I hope for him he will enjoy the Bundesliga," he said. "He’s also a big loss because of his quality, the impact he makes and also because, for the young players, he’s an example. When you lose someone like this it can have a huge impact.
"I think it is a big loss for the Premier League in terms of quality and in terms of the person."
Edouard Mendy pays tribute to Chelsea legend Petr Cech
Former Chelsea keeper Petr Cech stepped down from his role of technical and performance advisor after the Todd Boehly consortium took charge of the club. The keeper had been instrumental in bringing Mendy to London and helped him immensely to settle down in his new surroundings.
He also expressed his gratitude to former goalkeeping coach Christophe Lollichon, who guided the AFCON winner in improving the tricks of the trade.
"Without Pete and Christoph, I don’t think I would be at Chelsea. So I will always be grateful to them and the best way to make them proud is to be the best I possibly can on the pitch, just doing my job," he said.
"We have a new owner so it's a new era. Some people are coming and some have left us. That’s life in the club. But we are excited to start.
“My summer was good. I enjoyed the time with my family and I think we all needed it after a long season, especially with the AFCON. I needed the break to be ready mentally and physically for the new year. Now we are."