When Chelsea headed across the capital to play Arsenal in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon, Enzo Maresca’s team was anything but competitive. Blues supporters have criticised the Italian strategist for his “pathetic” error.
In the 20th minute, Mikel Merino, Arsenal’s substitute center-forward, slid his header past Robert Sanchez, allowing the home team to hardly shift out of second gear as they picked up three more points to take second position.
Early on in the former Leicester City player’s career, Chelsea appeared to be a serious contender for the Premier League title, along with Liverpool and Arsenal. Since then, things have gotten gloomy, and their performance at the Emirates perfectly captured that.
Since the beginning of the season, when the team moved from King Power Stadium to Stamford Bridge, Maresca has had to decide between Filip Jorgensen and the previously mentioned Sanchez as his primary custodian.
After a series of high-profile errors, including rushing off his team to let Erling Haaland score into an open net, Sanchez, who had joined from Brighton & Hove Albion in the summer of 2023, appeared to have been demoted to second choice.
Jorgensen was put in goal for the upcoming games, but Maresca assured reporters that Sanchez is still their top pick despite doubts about his skills after taking a mental break. Mail Online said that the 45-year-old stated:
I believed that Robert needed a few days off to psychologically rest. He’s back now, and hopefully we won’t change till the very end.
However, Maresca’s decision to start the 27-year-old Spain international with three caps against the Gunners has not been well received by the Stamford Bridge supporters. “F*** Maresca for bringing Sanchez back honestly,” one fan commented. sad, frail, and spineless.
Another fan referred to Maresca as “stubborn,” questioning his resolve to lock Sanchez down as his starting custodian. They also implied that it puts pressure on his colleagues.
Sanchez, Robert. Perhaps the most obstinate boss we have ever had was Enzo Maresca. Why is this experiment still being conducted? It doesn’t function; how much more proof is required? The team as a whole is under pressure.
Another said, “I am done blaming Sanchez for his mistakes now, anything he does is on Maresca,” implying that Maresca, not Sanchez, should bear the responsibility. “Got no sympathy for a manager who keeps consisting with this bozo Sanchez,” remarked another supporter.
The teenage Zion Suzuki was a target for the West Londoners, who are eager to bolster their goalkeeping staff, according to a January report. It is unclear what it implies for Sanchez, whose contract is set to expire in the summer of 2030.
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