"What is he doing?" - Gary Neville hits out at Chelsea star as Enzo Maresca considers dropping Robert Sanchez
Pundit Gary Neville has criticized Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez for his display in his side's 3-1 defeat to champions Manchester City on Saturday. The Spain international is reportedly being considered to receive the axe from Enzo Maresca's starting XI for subsequent games.
Robert Sanchez was implicated in the second goal Chelsea conceded at the Etihad Stadium. The former Brighton & Hove Albion goalkeeper came a long way outside his box and failed to retreat sufficiently, allowing Erling Haaland to score.
Speaking on the Gary Neville Podcast, the former Manchester United compared the Spaniard to former Liverpool man Loris Karius. He questioned Sanchez's decision to rush out of his box and advised the club to try to sell him.
"We have to talk about the goalkeeper. That wouldn't have been a goal if the goalkeeper isn't 25 yards off his line at the edge of the box.
What is he doing? I mean he's making a lot of errors and I remember a few years ago that I was quite tough on Karius at Liverpool when he was coming through and making errors.
Liverpool were a team that were growing to a point where they could win the title, but they wouldn't have won a title with Karius in net because he was making too many errors.
It's a too important position and I think Chelsea at this point in time are going to have to look at their goalkeeper."
Robert Sanchez has been at Chelsea since 2023, having joined from Brighton in a £25 million move. The Spain international lost his place under Mauricio Pochettino, with Djordje Petrovic ending the season as first-choice between the sticks.
Sanchez has committed an error leading to a goal in back-to-back games against Wolves and Manchester City. The 27-year-old has now committed five errors leading to a goal, and The Telegraph reports that the Blues are considering dropping him from their XI for upcoming games.
Chelsea loanee puts on brilliant showing as Robert Sanchez disappoints
Chelsea goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic delivered an impressive performance for his loan club Strasbourg while Robert Sanchez struggled against Manchester City. The Serbia international earned widespread praise for his display in the 2-1 win over Lille in France and was the highest-rated player (8.5) by FotMob.
Petrovic was sent out on loan to allow Sanchez to regain his place as first-choice under Enzo Maresca this season, and he has been a starter for Strasbourg. He made five saves in the game and finished with a 92% pass accuracy while making two high claims and 14 recoveries for his side.
The performance of the 25-year-old Serbian goalkeeper in his 16 league appearances this season has earned him plaudits in France. With Sanchez failing to impress, he will hope to reclaim his starting shirt at Stamford Bridge next season.
