Chelsea have a goalkeeper problem. It is an issue that has stemmed since Thibaut Courtois departed for Real Madrid in 2018, with the Blues seeking to cover the Belgian’s exit with the record-breaking signing of Kepa Arrizabalaga in the same summer. The Spaniard, now on loan at Bournemouth, has flattered to deceive during his time in west London, but is not the only one that has failed to nail down the No 1 spot.
Édouard Mendy has come and gone, while Robert Sánchez and Djordje Petrovic have also moved to the capital as Chelsea tried and failed to bring in a worthy successor for Courtois. Petrovic has arguably the most successful in that regard, only to be carted off on loan to Strasbourg.
Chelsea have continued to invest in new goalkeepers. Filip Jörgensen and Mike Penders have both been acquired by the club, though the latter will not move to London until next summer.
After 10 Premier League games this season, it is Sánchez who has established himself as Enzo Maresca’s No 1. While Chelsea do not have a dire defensive record with the Spaniard between the sticks – the Blues have conceded just 12 league goals this season – there are growing calls for Sánchez to be dropped.
When it became obvious that Sanchez would be Maresca’s choice, many Chelsea fans were bemused. The 26-year-old had started Mauricio Pochettino’s sole campaign last year as the No 1, though it was a decision forced upon the Argentinian after Kepa’s loan move to Real Madrid.
An injury to Sánchez ultimately promoted Petrovic, a position he did not relinquish until Maresca took over. And while some stats do back up Maresca’s reasoning to continue with Sánchez – his save success rate of 76.9% is among the best in the division – the former Brighton keeper’s erratic approach has fans clamouring for Jörgensen to take over.
This was evident in the 1-1 draw with Manchester United on Sunday. Casemiro floated a cross into the box for Rasmus Højlund, whose touch was heavy. As the ball ran away from the United striker, Sanchez had already committed. Chelsea’s goalkeeper fouled Højlund, leaving referee Rob Jones with no choice but to point to the spot. Sánchez protested against the decision, but he only had himself to blame.
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It was the second penalty the 26-year-old has conceded this season, more than any other goalkeeper in the Premier League. Factor in the two errors leading directly to an opposition goal and Sánchez is the player with the most errors leading to a goal (four) in England’s top tier this season.
Sánchez did make amends for the penalty at Bournemouth, denying Evanilson from 12 yards in the 1-0 victory for the Blues, but Chelsea need a more reliable goalkeeper if they are to push on under Maresca. Jörgensen is not necessarily the answer to Chelsea’s goalkeeping conundrum, and the former Villarreal man has not exactly set the world alight in his cup performances, but Sánchez is meant to be one of the more experienced members in a youthful backline that has kept just two clean sheets all season and conceded in the last five league matches.
Sánchez fails to inspire stability, which forces the defence to drop deeper. While Maresca has continuously defended Sánchez, insisting he has all the ingredients to become of the best goalkeepers in the division, if the performance levels do not improve the calls for a change will only become louder.
Maresca is unlikely to make a significant personnel change to his preferred XI for the visit of Arsenal before the November international break but questions are again being asked of Sánchez. He’s surely only one high-profile blunder away from losing his No 1 spot.
