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Former Chelsea striker Daniel Sturridge has offered Mike Penders some advice after his terrible mistake against Tottenham. Xabi Alonso’s side underperformed from start to finish, but the unfortunate reality is that Penders let his team down in their 2-0 defeat.
The 21-year-old accidentally punched the ball into his own goal from a Tottenham corner in one of the worst goalkeeping mistakes in Premier League history. He was under some pressure from Jean Paul van Hecke, but it should have been a routine punch or even a catch.
The good news for Penders is that he will not have to wait long to put things right. He will almost certainly start in Chelsea’s EFL Cup fourth-round match against Liverpool on Wednesday, as Emiliano Martinez is still out with a broken jaw.
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Daniel Sturridge cannot relate to Mike Penders as a goalkeeper, but he knows what it feels like to make high-profile mistakes as a Premier League footballer. The striker played for Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool during his club career and made 26 international appearances for England.
Sturridge did not downplay Penders’ mistake, which likely cost Chelsea a point against their fiercest rivals and angered millions of Blues fans around the world. However, he encouraged the young goalkeeper not to dwell on it for too long, as that would not help him bounce back as quickly as possible.
“It’s a monumental mistake, but that’s the life of a goalkeeper,” Sturridge said on Sky Sports after the game. “You’re in the spotlight. If you make a mistake, it leads to a goal, and that’s what happened today, unfortunately for him.
“But he has to rebuild again. He knows he’s going to be back in between the sticks, so it’s important for him… sleep on this tonight; it probably replays in his mind over and over again, thinking, ‘What have I done?’ And you’re absolutely lower than a snake’s belly.”
"It’s a monumental mistake, but tomorrow is a new day" Daniel Sturridge speaks about Mike Penders’ error that opened the scoring for Tottenham 🎙️ https://t.co/35cIZ5xPv5
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) October 24, 2026
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“But you’ve got to push on, bro. It’s happened; the game is over; tomorrow is a new day. You’ll watch it back on video; you’ll go with your goalkeeper coaches; you’ll discuss everything: how do we improve?
“They’ll be working on these things again, building up his confidence in the week to know, ‘Look, I’ve made a massive mistake; we’ve lost a massive game for this club.’ I know what this game means. I’ve played in these types of games. These Chelsea fans will be absolutely devastated by what’s happened today, but ultimately, the young man has to move on now.”
Emi Martinez is not expected back until after the November international break, so Penders will get at least three more starts. This gives him a chance to make amends for his dreadful error against Spurs.
Chelsea face a difficult trip to Anfield in the EFL Cup on Wednesday before they welcome Michael Carrick’s Manchester United to Stamford Bridge on Saturday. The Blues then travel to Sunderland in the final week before the international break.