Liam Rosenior has made his feelings clear about Robert Sanchez ahead of Chelsea's clash against Aston Villa. The 28-year-old goalkeeper had a few shaky moments during the Blues' 2-1 defeat to Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday evening.
The Gunners scored each of their two goals from corners, throwing Sanchez under the spotlight. The Spain international, who has quietly become a key player for Chelsea this season, was at fault for the second, misjudging the flight of the ball.
Speaking to reporters at Cobham on Monday afternoon, the Blues boss defended his shot-stopper. Rosenior said: "I think each player adds to the overall picture and functionality to the team. We had some nervy spells early on.
"I don't want to single out players to say what they can or can't improve. Other than the two moments, the two set piece moments, I don't think anyone can say my team didn't function well."
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Rosenior also leapt to the defence of Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernandez, who were shown red and yellow cards respectively during the Arsenal clash. The Chelsea boss said: "It needs to improve. My job is to create a culture of accountability.
"If you make a mistake, you have to hold your hands up to make sure it never happens again. You need teammates to help you but it comes down to yourself as well. Pedro has apologised to the group. I need to see an improvement in the behaviour now. It's not just Pedro."
Pedro Neto of Chelsea is shown a red card by Referee Darren England during the Premier League match between Arsenal and Chelsea at Emirates Stadium on March 01, 2026 in London, England
Pedro Neto is the seventh Chelsea player to be sent off in the Premier League this season (Image: Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images)
Rosenior added: "Enzo is a top leader. It's something that needs to improve. We are one of the youngest teams in Europe. Sometimes you need to go through experiences to improve. I don't want it to be a learning experience where we fail to achieve what we want to achieve."
On how he plans to solve the squad's discipline problem, Rosenior said: "It's showing the value of not having a red card is. Our percentage chance of winning goes through the roof.
"Reacting to setbacks, sometimes it's giving the ball away, sometimes it's the referee making a decision you disagree with. You pick players who are showing that improvement.
Pedro Neto of Chelsea reacts during the Premier League match between Arsenal and Chelsea at Emirates Stadium on March 1, 2026 in London, United Kingdom
Pedro Neto let Liam Rosenior and his Chelsea teammates down against Arsenal (Image: Photo by Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images)
"I can't afford to go through a season where there is a red card in every two or three games. I need to do my team selection based on that."
Turning his attention to Aston Villa on Wednesday night, Rosenior claimed he anticipates a 'very difficult game'. The Chelsea boss said: "The reason Villa score great goals is because they have great attacking players.
"It will be a very difficult game. They're very clinical in terms of the xG they create. They are going to have a reaction from their last result so we will prepare for a very difficult game."
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