“He can earn you two goals if you start him” – Pochettino must start 25-year-old in Chelsea’s next game despite what happened against Arsenal
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Despite Chelsea only managing to secure a point in their recent London derby against Arsenal, manager Mauricio Pochettino likely found many positives in his team’s performance. Goals from Cole Palmer and Mykhailo Mudryk had put Chelsea in a commanding position, seemingly on the verge of ending Arsenal’s unbeaten run. However, Arsenal mounted a late comeback to salvage a 2-2 draw.
Throughout most of the match, Chelsea had been in control, but the situation changed dramatically in the final 15 minutes. A long-range goal from Declan Rice provided Arsenal with a lifeline and brought them back into the game. The opportunity for Rice’s strike came from a poor pass by Chelsea’s goalkeeper, Robert Sanchez.
Sanchez’s passing has been a source of concern at times during his time with Chelsea, representing a notable limitation in his game. Despite this, Pochettino stood by his number one goalkeeper and defended him.
Sanchez has been the undisputed starter for Chelsea since his arrival at the club, leaving little opportunity for Djordje Petrovic to showcase his abilities in the first team. There have been calls for Petrovic to make his debut, but Pochettino should continue to trust Sanchez.
One of Sanchez’s strengths has been his shot-stopping ability, which he demonstrated by winning the ‘Save of the Month’ award for his performance against Aston Villa in September. In fact, statistically, he was part of the best-performing team in the month of September. This suggests that his performance against Arsenal, while challenging, may have been an isolated setback in what has otherwise been a positive start to his Chelsea career.
