The spectacular victory against Tottenham (5-3) saved appearances, but it did not mask the growing unease in the Parisian cages. Wednesday evening, Lucas Chevalier experienced a real waking nightmare at the Parc des Princes. Credited with a scathing 3/10 by the specialist press, the former Lille player displayed terrifying excitement: two shots taken, three goals conceded (if we count the confusing situations and the xG). Recruited this summer for 40 million euros with the label of the future great French goalkeeper, the 23-year-old goalkeeper seems to shrink with each outing, crushed by a jersey visibly too heavy for his shoulders.
Chevalier: the new industrial crash of PSG at the goalkeeper position?
The benevolence of the beginning has given way to an implacable observation. Observers no longer spare him. Walid Acherchour, RMC consultant, sounded the alarm with a brutal but realistic formula: “The more it goes on, the more it stinks of a flop. He inspires no fear in the opponent but fear in all his teammates. » The observation is shared by Emmanuel Petit, who points out a fatal “psychological gap”: we do not keep the goals of PSG, the reigning European champion, like we keep those of LOSC. On social media, the sentence is even crueler, with supporters ironically noting that “every shot on target is a goal”transforming the last rampart into a luxury sieve.
The specter of Christophe Revault hovers over Lucas Chevalier’s nightmare. As in 1997, the PSG goalkeeper seems paralyzed by the jersey, reviving an old Parisian trauma.
This downward trajectory awakens an old trauma among Parisian supporters: the “Christophe Revault syndrome”. In 1997, Revault also arrived with the status of the best French goalkeeper, ready to destroy everything. A few months later, after a tragic evening in Munich against Bayern (1-5), his Parisian career was shattered, his confidence vanished by gross errors. Chevalier seems to be taking this same disastrous path. Like his illustrious predecessor, he is talented, but he gives the impression of being “paralyzed”, incapable of commanding his area or making the miracle save that changes a match. The story stutters, and the comparison, although painful for the memory of the late Revault, becomes inevitable as the symptoms are identical.
Enrique alone against everyone
Faced with the storm, Luis Enrique is currently playing the role of lightning rod. “On the first goal, we defended poorly, the second was a set piece…”he tried to justify Wednesday evening, a tight smile on his lips. But this protection has its limits. The shadow of Gianluigi Donnarumma still hovers over the Park, and the Spanish coach’s stubbornness is starting to annoy. By wanting to protect his “bet”, Enrique risks weakening his entire defensive base.
Lucas Chevalier is now on probation. In a club where the demands are immediate and brutal, he no longer has the right to make mistakes. If he does not manage to quickly chase away his demons and rediscover the carefreeness that was his strength in the North, his time in Paris could be summed up as a wasted interlude, joining the long list of talents consumed by the pressure of the capital. This weekend’s match against Monaco will feel like a last chance.
