It’s lastly time for Enzo Maresca to drop Robert Sanchez after the Spaniard’s newest blunder for Chelsea towards Wolves. His annual culling is lengthy overdue…and never simply as a result of we predicted it in August.
Chelsea earned three Premier League factors on Monday night time by beating Wolves 3-1 at Stamford Bridge and as an alternative of speaking about them getting again to successful methods and exploiting their opponents’ most evident weak point, we’re going to give attention to Robert Lynch Sanchez.
The identical weaknesses Sanchez has beforehand displayed had been prevalent towards Wolves. It ought to solely be a matter of time till Filip Jorgensen will get the nod however you by no means do know with Chelsea; they’ve loads of different choices too.
That’s nearly precisely what Matt Stead mentioned – apart from the Blues’ opposition – in August and the purpose nonetheless stands.
Sanchez dedicated his fourth error resulting in a purpose this season on Monday night time, failing to cope with a nook Matheus Cunha may properly have been capturing from. He opted to catch as an alternative of punch and the ball slipped out of his grasp for Matt Doherty to equalise in first-half stoppage-time.
Chelsea began quick as they typically do and went forward by means of Tosin Adarabioyo, who confirmed the type of composure from shut vary that Nicolas Jackson needs he had as Wolves conceded from a set-piece for the one millionth time in 2024/25.
Doherty’s equaliser got here in Wolves’ greatest spell of the match by a mile and was one other instance of Chelsea dropping off and letting groups develop in confidence after dominating the opening half-hour.
Fortunately for Sanchez, he had fellow Spaniard Marc Cucurella and Wolverhampton’s largest fan Noni Madueke – who additionally netted from a nook – to thank for sparing him the embarrassment of costing Chelsea the win.
His fourth error resulting in a purpose places him joint-second with Taylor Harwood-Bellis for that damning statistic. He’s nonetheless one behind Ipswich City goalkeeper Arijanet Muric, who has rightly been dropped by Kieran McKenna. It mustn’t take a fifth c*ck-up for Maresca to be ruthless.
However when sidelining a participant, you need to trust within the man coming in. That participant might be summer time signing Filip Jorgensen, who has solely performed twice within the Premier League this season. He conceded a penalty as Ipswich gained their first dwelling match of the season (pink flag) and didn’t hold a clear sheet at Southampton (greater pink flag). Taking that into consideration, we are able to perceive Maresca being a tad reluctant.
However he was not the explanation why an abject Chelsea misplaced at Portman Street and the Blues ultimately scored 4 greater than Southampton. He has additionally seemed good within the Europa Convention League; Jorgensen made 11 saves in a 2-0 win at Heidenheim and made seven towards Artsakh. Sure, that competitors has a worse commonplace than the Europa League and clearly the Premier League, however he has three clear sheets in eight matches in that competitors whereas Sanchez solely has 4 in 20 within the Premier League.
The Spaniard acquired injured on matchday 16 within the league final season and didn’t play once more when Mauricio Pochettino realised Djordje Petrovic was a greater goalkeeper, and the 12 months earlier than it took till the twenty third recreation for Sanchez to lose his Brighton place to Jason Steele. Will it’s matchday 22 in 24/25?
Jorgensen is 5 years youthful than Sanchez and deserves an opportunity in Our League to show he’s higher than Maresca’s No. 1 – who does have one of the best save proportion within the division, to be honest to him. These errors, although…
On a extra optimistic observe, Trevoh Chalobah performed the total 90 minutes, assisted Madueke’s purpose and was named Participant of the Match. Having been ostracised and compelled to coach with the youngsters earlier than touchdown a summer time mortgage to Crystal Palace, Chalobah is primed to play an enormous function within the Chelsea defence within the second half of the season after being recalled.
Chelsea made up for his or her poor finish to the opening 45 minutes with a really assured second interval, incomes a deserved victory in to carry them again into the highest 4.
It was their first Premier League win in 36 days as Wolves stay and not using a level in 2025, with their honeymoon interval beneath Vitor Pereira now a distant reminiscence amidst the January blues.
In the meantime, midfield accidents have gotten an actual ache for Maresca, who would have been pulling his hair out biting his nails when Moises Caicedo obtained remedy within the first half. He gave Kiernan Dewsbury-Corridor a primary Premier League begin of the season towards Wolves, which tells you every thing in regards to the bareness of his bones.
And it’s Manchester Metropolis away subsequent for Chelsea. Solely two factors separate them now with Maresca’s males in fourth and the champions fifth. It’s not a lot better for Wolves, who host Arsenal a few hours earlier on Saturday.
With a visit to the Etihad simply across the nook, we’ll discover out if Enzo Maresca is comfortable to take recommendation from a 29-year-old Scot who will get paid to criticise footballers who earn his yearly wage in a day.
He didn’t pay attention in August; will he pay attention now?
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