Premier League managers earn their money in various ways, and making tough decisions is one of them.
Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca finds himself faced with one following Sunday’s 2-1 defeat at Liverpool. The Blues put up an admirable fight at Anfield but still came up short, highlighting the gap between themselves and the Premier League’s title-chasers, even though they have come on leaps and bounds this season.
Catching up to Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool will require Maresca to survey his squad and pinpoint where marginal gains can be made. There is a growing feeling among Chelsea fans that work needs to be done between the sticks.
Eyebrows were raised when Robert Sanchez found his way back into the Chelsea starting XI this season after spending the second part of 2023/24 playing back-up to Djordje Petrovic. And though the Spaniard has been impressive in patches, he is finding it difficult to shake off his error-prone streak.
With the game still goalless, Sanchez nearly served Liverpool an opener on a plate when his short pass was intercepted by Cody Gakpo. But the goalkeeper was let off the hook when the Dutchman’s touch ricocheted straight back into his hands.
Later in the match, Sanchez rushed in on Curtis Jones and the referee pointed to the spot. The decision was subsequently overturned, but it was another example of the stopper’s unpredictability making Chelsea nerves jangle.
To cap off a disappointing display, Sanchez made only a feeble attempt to block Jones’ winner, when a superior keeper could have rushed out to smother the ball.
Could it be time to axe the 26-year-old for Filip Jorgensen?
Chelsea forked out more than £20million to sign the Dane from Villarreal this summer and so far he has only played in cup competitions. The move does not make financial sense unless, like Arsenal with David Raya, the Blues signed Jorgensen with a view to gradually phasing him into the starting line-up.
Mikel Arteta sparked uproar by replacing fan favourite Aaron Ramsdale with Raya just four games into last season. But the Gunners manager’s decision has come up trumps, as they now boast one of the finest goalkeepers in the division while Ramsdale is struggling at Southampton.
Next up for the Blues is a European outing, and Jorgensen is likely to get another run-out on the trip to Panathinaikos. Perhaps this time it will be more of an audition for the Premier League starting berth, with Sanchez’s shoddy performance creating the perfect circumstances for Maresca to make the change.
