Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has handed Robert Sanchez the first-choice goalkeeper role for this new season.
The £25 million Sanchez inked the deal last season with Chelsea, and he is supposed to be an important component of the wheel of Maresca’s strategy.
Enzo Maresca wants to build a side capable of playing possession-based football where passing and distribution matter above everything.
To make this work, he needs a goalkeeper who will be comfortable and confident with his feet, so Robert Sanchez fits that bill perfectly.
Under previous management by Maresca, Leicester City dominated the Championship, gaining promotion back to the Premier League with a brand of beautiful, fluid football in the image of Pep Guardiola.
This is what Maresca will look to emulate at Chelsea, and Sanchez’s capacity to be part of this type of football is pivotal.
The last season was a bit mixed for Sanchez, playing as a Chelsea goalkeeper.
He made some starts, after which he was long gone, suffering from injuries, and spent most of the 2023-2024 season watching from the sidelines.
Dorde Petrovic took over as the first-choice goalkeeper in his place.
Sanchez’s performances had their share of ups and downs.
For instance, during a game at Stamford Bridge against Arsenal, one misjudged pass by Sanchez led to a critical error that helped the opponents equalize and almost cost Chelsea the win.
Also Read: Chelsea Opts Out Ugochukwu From Olympics For Pre-Season
Mistakes like these have to be cut out if Sanchez is to become a truly world-class goalkeeper as in the Premier League, there is little room for error.
Yet, in between, Sanchez also had very bright moments.
He made critical saves to win games for Chelsea, proving that he can be a top player.
More than anything else, it was his resilience and the capacity to perform under pressure when the team was lacking in confidence.
Mauricio Pochettino did well to fashion a competitive team as Chelsea came 6th in the Premier League last season.
Maybe there could be optimism for the future as the team improved much towards the latter stages of the 2023-2024 campaign.
Enzo Maresca came with the experience of working under legendary managers like Carlo Ancelotti and Pep Guardiola.
He unites ideas from different styles of coaching, adding a bit of his own—very distinct.
Thus, he becomes an interesting and innovative Chelsea coach.
This system of Maresca requires the goalkeeper to have a significant level of ball distribution, and Robert Sanchez is exactly that.
The Chelsea Chronicle indicated that Maresca had picked Sanchez as his cornerstone.
Tailor-made to execute his possession-based football philosophy at Chelsea with Robert Sanchez being a first-choice goalkeeper, Enzo Maresca would know how much Sanchez can contribute to that as the team tries to climb up the Premier League standings.
