Sometimes in football you need luck and opportunity. In other moments players grasp it for themselves.

In this case of Djordje Petrovic he had a helping of both on his way to establishing a small piece of Chelsea folklore in just his third appearance for the club. Between a late substitute appearance against Everton, and two outings where the Blues suffered just three shots on target between Sheffield United and Newcastle, the summer signing has not had much opportunity to show his shotstopping abilities.

Often, onlookers have supposed that Petrovic's opportunity could come in the Carabao Cup. Though, they probably expected it to more likely be against, AFC Wimbledon, Brighton or Blackburn rather than in a penalty shootout.

There was little Petrovic could do to deny Callum Wilson when the Newcastle forward capitalised on the mistakes of Levi Colwill, Thiago Silva and Benoit Badiashile in the opening half of the tie on Tuesday night. The 24-year-old did show a cool head on the ball, and plenty of composure to keep it moving. His distribution was not perfect but his approach was commendable.

Mykhailo Mudryk's late goal ensured that Petrovic was going to be part of the narrative, however. The former New England Revolution star stands at 6'4" but seemed to grow taller when stood with his back to a hostile stand full of Newcastle United fans hoping to suck the ball into the net.

"I don’t hear pressure. They need to score [the penalties]. I can be the hero. I just did my job. That’s it," said Petrovic following the game. Elite.

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This was his moment and there was a hint of Petrovic's ability on the goal line even as Wilson dispatched the Magpies' first penalty. As he dived far into the corner, the Serbian international's arm jetted in a separate direction looking to palm away the ball that had been hit high into the net. Chelsea's stopper was going to fill a great deal of the goal as a minimum.

Such was the power of Petrovic's dive you could be forgiven for thinking he was on his way to getting a touch on Kieran Trippier's miss, while Bruno Guimaraes offered the only effort to send the glovesman in the wrong direction. The quality of Petrovic's save from Matt Ritchie cannot be underestimated, however. It has already garnered a whole of host of Petr Cech comparisions with some even relfecting on the Chelsea legend's stop versus Ivica Olic in the Champions League final. Lofty praise.

Petrovic embraced the moment, and planting his feet to the ground. For a moment he seemed unaware of the oncoming bodies and was simply taking in an arena that in a moment had become his. Malo Gusto, Benoit Badiashile and Armando Broja were the first bodies to reach the summer signing, and the Serbian woke up to meet them.

The rest of the squad came following behind, including the injured stars from among the substitutes' bench. Perhaps none were more enthusiastic than an onrushing Ben Chilwell and Alfie Gilchrist, with the former jumping into Petrovic's arms.

The youngster got carried away to the extent he had to retrace his steps to retrieve his towel from the turf by the goalline that the penalties were shot towards. As a result Petrovic was able to share a moment with the crowd before making his way back and meeting Thiago Silva for a firm embrace, while Mauricio Pochettino showed plenty of appreciation too when he came into contact with his first choice for the moment.

Chelsea sporting directors suggested upon Petrovic's arrival: "We are very pleased to welcome Djordje to the club. His performances in MLS have earned deserved praise and recognition – and have prepared him for the challenge of playing for Chelsea.

"Djordje improves an already strong goalkeeping team. We look forward to watching him work under Mauricio Pochettino, goalkeeper coach Toni Jimenez, and the rest of the first-team staff this season."

He has already transferred some of his qualities from his stint in MLS. With the Revolution, Petrovic recorded five penalty saves in 48 matches. He has been up for the challenge of being Chelsea goalkeeper thus far, but Robert Sanchez's return timeframe could have an impact on the role he finds himself among the Blues' goalkeeping team.

One thing is for sure, Petrovic's coach in New England and former Chelsea goalkeeper, Kevin Hitchcock suggested that 'he has all the tools to deal with everything that will come at him. I guarantee the Matthew Harding will love him'. Petrovic has made a massive step in that direction.

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Cole Palmer of Chelsea celebrates scoring his team's second goal from the penalty spot with team mate Jadon Sancho during the Premier League match between Chelsea FC and Brighton & Hove Albion FC at Stamford Bridge on September 28, 2024

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