What a rollercoaster seven days it proved to be for Mike Penders. Filled with highs and lows, but the Chelsea shot-stopper concluded it brimming with self-belief.
Following the 21-year-old's baptism of fire at the Hill Dickinson Stadium on October 17, after Emiliano Martínez departed with a fractured jaw, a run in the starting lineup beckoned for Penders. In what amounted to his maiden week as a Chelsea senior player, the trio of matches all carried significant weight for varying reasons.
Up first was the not-so-small task of facing Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge. Penders, somewhat ironically, was among the standout contributors for the Blues until a disastrous second-half incident in which he punched a corner kick into his own goal for the game's opener.
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Spurs ultimately extended their lead in their 2-0 win in SW6, but that Penders mishap was unmistakably the pivotal moment.
That marked the Belgium international's maiden full Premier League appearance - a night the goalkeeper won't forget for multiple reasons. Post-match, Xabi Alonso faced questions about how he'd attempt to lift such a young player following such a devastating incident.
To his credit, via football.london , Alonso stood firmly behind Penders: "We win, we lose together and it is part of my job with and to overcome from mistakes, myself as well and everyone, so we support Mike and we support the rest of the team.
"He will learn from that and we will want to prove that he can do better and we have to show that we can do better."
Alonso urged Penders to demonstrate his character and recover from his own goal - and the goalkeeper responded impressively in the days that followed. A journey to Anfield was next on the agenda and while it was 'only' the Carabao Cup - ask Alonso about the importance of that tournament - it remains a challenging assignment for such a young player in one of the nation's most intimidating venues.
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Penders, though, was exceptional for the Blues despite ending up on the losing team in Liverpool. The standout moment, in terms of stops, from the former Genk shot-stopper was a remarkable save to keep out Bradley Barcola's edge-of-the-box effort in the second half.
He also delivered a moment of brilliance in the penalty shootout to deny Ryan Gravenberch from 12 yards. Penders was poised to be the hero if Emmanuel Emegha could hold his composure from the spot, but the Dutch forward saw his attempt saved by Giorgi Mamardashvili.
Despite the heartbreak of losing on penalties, Penders could leave Anfield with his head held high for his performance and carry that belief into Saturday's Premier League match against Manchester United.
It marked Penders' first return to the scene of the incident - in the form of the own goal against Tottenham - at Stamford Bridge. However, the Belgian appeared far more confident from the opening whistle.
Penders produced a pair of sharp stops to keep United at bay, but it was his late intervention to deny Bryan Mbeumo's thunderous long-range effort near the final whistle that has captured the internet's attention. Mbeumo couldn't have connected with the ball any more cleanly, and it was hurtling goalward at considerable pace before Penders managed the faintest of touches to divert it onto the crossbar.
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It is no overstatement to call it a contender for Save of the Season, even at this early stage of the new campaign.
Alonso was thrilled with Penders' showing and how he bounced back from the setback against Tottenham the previous week. The Blues manager said: "Not just today, I think that in Liverpool he was really solid, he had a very good performance, very stable for a 'keeper and today he has shown a good level.
"Another clean sheet, the second one in three games and we need to keep going. Mike has overcome the difficult moment that we got here last Saturday and this is part of the development of a goalkeeper, of any player."
Following Penders' error against Spurs, a number of Chelsea fans have been eagerly anticipating Martínez's return from injury, though no official timeline has been provided. Sources close to the club suggest the Argentine shot-stopper could be back sooner than originally anticipated, though doing so would require him to wear a protective mask.
Penders' most recent pair of outings have demonstrated that Chelsea have no pressing need to fast-track Martínez back from his fractured jaw. Rather, the Blues could - if they so desire - allow the 34-year-old's injury to recover at its own pace before easing him back into the lineup.
