Chelsea’s 3-1 loss to Flamengo at the Club World Cup wasn’t just disappointing. It prompted a volcanic outburst for change from one of Chelsea’s past leaders. Club legend Mikel John Obi had no hesitation in criticizing the team’s performance, and he didn’t shy away when discussing first-choice goalkeeper Robert Sanchez.
Pedro Neto delighted the Blues with his early goal in the 13th minute, but they were left in shreds in a catastrophic second half. Flamengo flipped the game on its head with two merciless goals from Bruno Henrique and Danilo.
Nicolas Jackson received a red card for a dirty challenge on Ayrton Lucas just four minutes after being introduced as a substitute. Finally, Wallace Yan nailed the coffin with a third goal, and Chelsea’s defeat was sealed.
A lot of the fan rage was directed at Jackson, but Mikel Obi spoke about Sanchez in an interview after the match. He said:
“I don’t think Robert Sanchez is the goalkeeper that can lead Chelsea to winning titles. He is not that guy. They need to bring in a top, top goalkeeper this summer if they want to compete.”
Despite Sanchez’s five saves during the game and not being the worst player on the field, his judgment and reliability have come into question. In terms of goals directly caused by his mistakes, he was the most error-prone goalkeeper in the Premier League last season. Understandably, this is a nightmare metric for a club one day hoping to dominate European soccer.
Chelsea Seek Goalkeeper Solution
The Blues are also said to have made an offer for Mike Maignan, the AC Milan keeper, but this deal has not progressed. With Mikel’s comments now echoing the fans’ collective psyche, pressure has fallen on the board to act this summer.
Even as Enzo Maresca’s players prepare to face ES Tunis in their next Club World Cup match, Stamford Bridge is waiting for a response to the goalkeeping crisis. The Blues may need a new man between the posts if they are to make a consistent bid for medals.