Sports
Robert Sanchez Was Awful For Liam Rosenior’s Chelsea vs Arsenal
Liam Rosenior suffered his first loss as Chelsea coach in his first match in charge at Stamford Bridge after Arsenal beat his men 3-2. The two London sides met in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final, and it was the visitors who took advantage of the tie.
The Blues looked to have made improvements with a comfortable 5-1 win over EFL Championship outfit Charlton Athletic in the FA Cup on the weekend. But the same old issues came to the surface tonight, serving as a wake-up call for Rosenior about the massive job he has on his hands.
Ben White scored the opener, given all the time in the world to head his side ahead in the cup tie. It was terrible defending from the hosts to try to deal with Declan Rice’s corner. Viktor Gyokeres made it two in the 49th minute, capitalising on a dismal piece of goalkeeping to tap home from close range.
Chelsea responded through Alejandro Garnacho’s strike in the 57th minute after coming off the bench, before Martin Zubimendi made it 3-1 in the 71st minute. Garnacho was at it again in the 83rd minute to give the West Londoners a chance of a comeback at the Emirates.
Chelsea 2-3 Arsenal: Sanchez Spoils Rosenior’s Mood
One position where Rosenior might not have been concerned with after replacing Enzo Maresca was between the sticks. Robert Sanchez was one of the surprises of the season, having shown vast improvement from nervy displays in recent years.
The Spanish goalkeeper’s old ways returned tonight and proved costly as he seemed anxious whenever the Gunners had a set-piece opportunity. His erratic response to Rice’s corner ultimately allowed White to head home into an empty net.
Sanchez’s night didn’t improve when he carelessly dived to try and stop a low-driven cross but allowed the ball to trickle through his fingers and into the path of Gyokeres. Two goals that he arguably should have prevented were not what his new coach would have wanted.
This wasn’t the only concern for Rosenior, as it was clear the 28-year-old wasn’t comfortable playing out from the back. This will be a big issue for his new manager moving forward, who clearly wants the shot-stopper to play short passes rather than go long.
Sanchez prevented the visitors from grabbing a fourth with a superb save from Mikel Merino in the 75th minute. But that was the one positive from a disappointing display.
Chelsea Fans Warn Rosenior About ‘Shocking’ Sanchez
Sanchez has consistently worn the number one shirt each season of his Chelsea spell, despite concerns over his reliability between the sticks. He would have been eager to impress his new boss tonight but has done more harm than good with a display that once again fuels talk over his place in the Blues’ team.
Rosenior only arrived at Stamford Bridge last week but one fan has already advised him to consider his goalkeeping options or risk the same fate as Maresca: “Sanchez will end Rosenior era wait and see.”
Another supporter couldn’t believe how poor the Spaniard’s goalkeeping was on the night: “That’s shocking from Sanchez.”
It felt as though Chelsea’s number one had turned a corner this season but one fan thinks the change in manager might come with consequences: “Rosenior telling Sanchez is world class with his feet has caused stinker!”
Another voiced their concerns about the Blues’ goalkeeper whose future was uncertain in the summer: “Sanchez is a car crash waiting to happen.”
Chelsea insider Simon Phillips delved into Sanchez’s inability to play out from the back: “Sanchez distribution has been the worst I’ve seen it for a long while and you know why? Because he has no freedom to go long if he feels it’s better to, which it is definitely better to at this moment.”
While the Spaniard was poor for Arsenal’s opener, his role in Gyokeres’ goal particularly irked one fan: “Sanchez, by the way an absolute disgrace for that goal. Awful goalkeeping to let it go through both hands.”
Another acknowledged the upturn in form shown before tonight: “What is Sanchez playing at tonight. He has been good this season but he’s having a stinker tonight.”
One fan didn’t solely blame Sanchez but noticed how vulnerable he looked at the Bridge: “Fofana has been woeful. Cucurella doesn’t seem himself, and Sanchez is nervy every time he has the ball at his feet. Stop playing out from the back because you are getting picked off every time.”
Sanchez’s questionable goalkeeping means Rosenior’s chances of winning silverware at the very start of his Chelsea reign are in doubt. His side will have to turn things around at the Emirates on February 3rd, but before then, they face Brentford in the league on Saturday, January 17th.
