Enzo Maresca, hands deep in his puffer jacket, stood expressionless as the man he had just reiterated as his No1 committed the latest in a long-list of howlers.
For the neutral Robert Sanchez continues to produce a steady stream of entertainment thanks to an unmatched willingness to alternate between top save and costly error.
Numbers can only tell part of the story here but no Premier League goalkeeper has a higher save percentage than Sanchez’s 77% and no player has committed more errors leading to an opposition shot this season than his eight.
The problem for Sanchez and Chelsea is the latter continues to make the former irrelevant. And for all the talk about their investment and long-term, game-changing recruitment strategy it remains baffling that they have still not got around to signing a goalkeeper who can consistently avoid such damaging, avoidable mistakes.
On the eve of this disjointed, ill-tempered clash Maresca had made it clear that Sanchez was his main man after weeks of rotation.
The Chelsea head coach admitted Sanchez required a break to “rest his head mentally” after a series of difficult outings. But, Maresca continued, “now he is back we are hopefully not going to change until the end [of the season].”
Admire the loyalty but no one can be fooled that this is a sustainable path to success.
Sanchez’s latest afternoon of chaos began with an awful pass that went straight to Gabriel Martinelli, whose shot he initially fumbled before being lucky enough to smother it the second time.
A kick to touch instead of Wesley Fofana – who was later subject to a VAR check for a potential red card after an apparent step on Declan Rice – followed soon after. And with the home fans alerted to his shakiness, every touch was met with the predictable noises.
Sanchez is undoubtedly capable of some really good reactionary saves – including an unorthodox stop not long before conceding following some pinball in the area.
But Mikel Merino’s opening goal from a corner was a shocker. Sanchez appeared more interested in the presence of Gabriel in front of him than the in-swinging delivery as he flapped meekly before Merino converted with what may have been intended as a knock-on rather than an attempt on goal.
Sanchez’s distraction meant he was in a poor position to make a save and before the break there was another weak wrist when attempting to claim a cross that should have been catchable.
A forlorn look at the ground as he slipped when kicking long early in the second half brought another chorus of cheers.
He then produced another impressive stop to deny Merino a second, getting a firm first in front of a stinging volley, to further underline his remarkable ability to mix the good with the very bad.
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