One of the best known clichés is that championships are won thanks to victories against small teams.
Defeating the sworn rivals and those who are also fighting for the title is an important thing, which adds to the pride of the fans - but not necessarily what guarantees the title.
Last Saturday, Community Park Stadium.
92 minutes. Chelsea leads 0: 1 over newcomer Brentford thanks to a goal by Ben Chillwell.
After 16 unsuccessful valley attempts, six of them for the frame, the host arrives for a last chance in the game.
Christian Norgard kicks a formidable figure from eight yards out but is stopped by Edward Mandy, who delivers one of the biggest blows seen in recent years.
This stop and the ability he demonstrated in all 90 minutes put the Senegalese goalkeeper on the media agenda, and looking a little further ahead - if the Blues win the championship this season, this push will surely enter the video of the big moments on the way to the title.
Mandy provided tremendous ability last season and helped the Blues win the Champions League with 19 games, in which he kept a clean sheet out of 34 appearances.
What’s more, nine non-absorbing games at the continent’s top factory put him on a glorious list with Santiago Knizares (00/01) and Kaylor Navas (15/16) earning him the UEFA Goalkeeper of the Year award. Despite this, Mandy was not included in the final 30 For the title of "Golden Ball", a news story that surprised many and angered his friends.
Mandy stops Norgard's hairdresser from Brentford.
Rescue to the Pantheon, Photo: AP,
"Shame that Edo is not on the list, it's annoying that African players have to do a double job," attacked Kalido Coulibaly, Senegal captain and Napoli stopper.
"It's unacceptable, I do not understand this decision," added Sadio Mane.
Peter Cech's tip
Even in the British media, when there are discussions about who is the best goalkeeper in the kingdom, all the attention is given to Allison and Ederson.
In practice, OPTA figures show that Mandy's saves have prevented Chelsea from conceding at least three more goals than they have conceded so far this season (3 in total) - more than any Premier League goalkeeper.
Whether he deserves to be on the final list for the Golden Ball or not, 29-year-old Mandy is an inspiring story.
For many years we have seen big teams that rarely give opportunities to black goalkeepers, and although Mandy was already on the verge of retirement in 2015 after not finding his place in La Haber, the Senegalese refused to give up and made his way to the run.
At the start of last season at Chelsea they had already realized that Coffee would no longer become the goalkeeper they had hoped to get, and Mandy was as usual in the right place and at the right time.
Peter Cech, who also came to the Blues from the humble French team, recommended and Frank Lampard was convinced.
The 29 million euros then paid for a 28-year-old goalkeeper caused quite a few eyebrows to rise, and without having a real adjustment period he jumped into the deep water.
Since then he has managed to answer all the catalogers.
The footwork improved miraculously, the confidence to lead the defensive squad in front of him was built and strengthened from one week to the previous one, and the instruction he received from Cech was clearly felt.
The great ability and the fact that he became the first black goalkeeper to win the Champions League, raised Mandy's status to the level of a symbol for quite a few Senegalese, and especially for African goalkeepers.
"There's a common attitude that black goalkeepers are less good," said Layton Orient goalkeeper Lawrence Vigorox.
Last June, when Mandy arrived in Senegal for the national team window, he was greeted by a national hero, and if you ask him - in the end this is his greatest achievement: "Before I won the Champions League not many people recognized me, but now it has changed. It gives me Another motivation to continue working hard. "
It seems that in the near future Chelsea will need him more than ever in the face of the injuries of Timo Werner and Romulo Lukaku, so that if there are difficulties in the attack, at least regarding the back Thomas Tuchel can be quiet.
On Saturday, against the last in the Norwich table, Mandy will come to lock the goal, and any result other than a blue win will be a sensation.
Will he lock the gate against Norwich as well?
Mandy, Photo: Getty Images,
